The Undying Return
by JR.sgt
Summary: An


In the year 2010, social media outlets exploded with reports of a large spacecraft orbiting our Sun. The pictures originated from Nasa's satellite SOHO and since then believers and debunkers alike have taken this issue throughout social media outlets. That same year the U.S. Air Force unveiled their new vehicle, the Boeing X-37 space plane. It is a highly secretive spacecraft with a highly secretive mission that only a few know about. To the public the mysterious pictures and the launch of the X-37 were unrelated, however a discreet space race has raged since the 1970's few years after the last Apollo mission between the United States and China as both countries discovered in their respective national soils, two small ships that defied the current historic notions on how humankind came to be on planet Earth. Soon humankind will be confronted with a question that does not know it exists yet. Did life began out there?

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The Undying Return.

By

Jose Fernandez.

The halfway point of a circle.

March 31, 2012 at 09:00Hrs. MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa Florida.

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Captain Leonard Adams is in one of the many none descriptive buildings in the Airbase. He has been waiting since 8 am in a small reception area to receive a briefing. The young Captain received orders during his training in Cape Kennedy to report in MacDill. In his last briefing, it was mention to him that this meeting had to do with the new X-37B Space Plane.

Adams is watching television as he wonders if he will be a remote operator for the secretive spacecraft. He finds strange that the channel set in the Television it is showing an old science fiction TV series he used to watch re-runs of with his brother when they were kids, Battlestar Galactica.

He is distracted by a slender and small statured man wearing a white long coat, maneuvering a briefcase and several files while reaching for a card to open a door. The door opens and a Full Bird Colonel comes out saying to the civilian. "Good Morning Doctor, the General has held the briefing just for you."

The man responds with a British accent. "There would not be much of a briefing without me… Sorry Colonel Thomas, it was the traffic that held me." The Doctor enters and the Colonel comes out and looks at Leonard who is in attention since he saw the Colonel entering the room. "Captain, follow me."

"Yes, sir." The Captain walks holding the already open for his senior, the Colonel walks in followed by the Captain. The junior officer follows behind on the left side of his senior ranking officer as military protocol states. "Captain, do you know why are you here?"

"No, sir."

"Oh, come on Captain. Not a hint?"

"Well, sir… in my last interview the X-37B was mention. I was asked if I knew something about it, sir."

The Colonel turns as he walks and says while smiling. "You think you are going to be a remote operator or something?"

"Ah… well, sir, it did cross my mind."

The Colonel turns and continues walking in silence. The Captain looks around and sees more lab coats walking about as well as other Air Force personnel. The Colonel stops in front of a door, swipes his card and the magnetic lock opens but the Colonel waits as he looks at the Captain. Leonard leans forward opening the door for the Colonel.

The two men enter a hallway and the Colonel points to a smaller reception room. "Captain, wait in here."

"Yes, sir." Leonard enters and seats down, the Colonel says. "The briefing will start soon. Someone will come for you and don't mind the camera."

"I will not, sir."

The Colonel walks down the hallway, stops at the last door to the left, and knocks. From behind the door, a male voice says. "Come in."

The Colonel opens and enters. Behind a large dark oak desk is General William Roberts watching a small C.C.T.V. Screen. The Colonel walks to a small countertop, opens the small refrigerator, looks in and he asks the general. "Bill, where is… ah, why is in the back?"

The General answers as he continues to watch the closed circuit view of the young Captain waiting. "Because my Cuban sandwich it is in the front."

The Colonel pulls a big bottle of orange juice and opens it. He takes a swallow as he seats in front of the desk. The General turns to his desk, looks at the personnel jacket of Captain Adams, and says. "He looks good on paper."

"NASA said he is good, completed his astronaut training with high scores, and flew over Bagdad and Afghanistan. I think he is our pilot."

"You think? Sometimes your thoughts are not all there." The General smiles as he reads. The Colonel replies as he leans forward. "Oh… really, back in 91 when I was your back seat over Kuwait… did I or did I not told you… I think they are shooting at us?"

"Yes, you did. Those telephone poles passed us really close."

"Darn right you are. I could open the canopy and lighted a cigarette with their exhaust. I think he is the right one."

"Will see."

"What are we waiting for?"

"For Bolton. What excused he gave you this time?"

"Traffic… I am sure there was a traffic jam in his bed this morning. What is the name of that lieutenant… the tall one?"

"Lt. Carroll Fox, she re-wired the entire computer and the guidance system by herself. I don't care about her personal life as long as she keeps the good work and I am sure she was here on time."

"She was."

"So then… the Doctor was caught in traffic." The Colonel smiles and takes a drink, he replies to the waiting General. "I guess."

The phone on top of the desk rings and the general picks it up. "Ok." He hangs the phone. He stands and says. "Have someone take the Captain to the briefing room. The Doctor is ready."

"Yes, sir." Both men stand up and the General says. "I guess it is time to burst the reality bubble for someone today."

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The bubble burst.

Briefing room 1-A, 10:15Hrs.

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Captain Adams enters the large room reminding him of a university auditorium. In front of each seat, there is a computer screen displaying the same emblem displayed on the large screen over the podium area. The young Captain is shown by an NCO his seat in the first row lined up at the center of the large screen and the podium.

He seats and looks around, Leonard notices several Air Force officers and civilians seating as they browse documents and conversing in an almost inaudible tone. The strange man in the long lab coat is setting his computer for the briefing in front of the congregation of military and civilian personnel as a tall female officer helps him.

The young Captain then pays attention again to the logo been displayed in all the screens and notices something odd. The X-37B is in the logo but instead of being in orbit around the Earth it is in orbit around the Sun and it looks as if the unmanned space plane is emerging from a sort of lighted ring.

Something that he has seen in most science fiction movies and TV shows, implying to him faster than light speeds. The Colonel yelling from the top of the stairs distracts Leonard. "Attention!"

The military personnel stands in a flawless and sharp military posture of attention as the civilians stand more casual but all stand up. The General walks down the stairs to the podium followed by the Colonel. The Colonel stops and stands at attention next to Leonard.

On the podium area the female officer, Lieutenant Fox steps back and the Doctor steps to the side giving the podium to the General. "As you were." All seat down. The General looks at his watch and asks the operators at the far end of the room. "Is he online?"

"Yes sir, The White House is online." The General turns to the large screen and says. "Connect us." The President of the United States comes to view in all the screens flanked by several advisors. General Roberts says aloud. "Attention!" All again stand up and the President smiles and says. "Be seated, please."

"Thank you, sir." Roberts said and all seat again. The President goes to say. "I have been reviewing your progress General and the new pictures are astonishing… what is it?"

"Doctor Bolton will explain better than I can sir."

"Ok, doctor. What is this thing?" The President asked Bolton walks nervously to the podium. The President's screen becomes smaller a large structure in space near the Sun comes into view. "Sir, the pictures were taken by the X-37D … well, sir… it is a ship."

"Has there been any contact with the occupants?"

"No sir, actually the X-37D flew close to a mile of the craft and it looks that it is for sure abandon. The calculations made back in June 2010 when this… ship, was detected by NASA's SOHO, its orbit suggested been adrift."

The General adds. "As you well know sir we were testing the X-37D capabilities since March 5 of last year when this ship was discovered around the Sun. We recall X-37D, re-fit it with the rover and send it back from Vandenberg in January this year."

"Good job on that quick turnaround of the X-37D, General."

"Thank you, Mr. President, but it was not me, it was this entire team and the sacrifice of a good friend."

"Colonel Taylor will me miss, I heard his daughter is following his footsteps?" The General replies. "Yes sir, she is as good of a pilot as her father. She is in Afghanistan now, sir."

"Good to know, Continue Doctor Bolton."

"Yes, Mr. President, now with the close flyby of the X-37D few days back we can say that this ship is an abandoned ship. We calculate that this vessel or… ark, as I called it. It is at least four nuclear aircraft carriers long and as wide. We bounce some lasers for measurement using the rover and all the proportions coincide with an average human height and…" The President interrupts. "How long this… ship or ark has been there?"

Bolton clears his throat and changes the image to show a spectrograph scale. "According to the dust accumulation gather by the rover probe and other visual samples from the space plane, we estimate that this ship has been up there since the dawn of civilization. Ah, we can't tell yet until we get… as my military friends would say… boots on the ground."

Captain Adams heart was beating rapidly to all of what he was witnessing and when he heard boots on the ground, his heart skipped several beats as he looks at the screen in front of him and looks up at the podium area. Some of the President Advisors lean closer to him and exchange words then the President looks at the camera and asks. "General, do you have all prepare?"

"Yes sir, just waiting for the green light."

"Where is the new ship?"

"In launch complex area number three in Vandenberg sir."

"You found a replacement for Colonel Taylor?" The General tilts slightly and slowly his head up as if he was thinking fast but with caution and answers. "We have a candidate sir, but that depends when you want us to go."

The President puts his hand over his mouth as if to think, again the advisors lean toward him but the President asks. "What about our completion, General?"

"Sir, they found the same type of craft we found in Alaska years later and so far we have been ahead. However… sources on the ground and satellites pictures are indicating that the craft been tested by the Chinese it is almost ready and it is twice as big as our X-16B. Possibly to carry troops, my opinion sir."

"When our financial partners will be ready?" General Roberts smiles and with some emphasis on the opening of his answer, he replies. "Our financial partners… will be ready by this summer."

"You have a go, General. If you can take control of the derelict ship's systems bring it as close to Earth. If not blow it up… understood General?"

"Yes, sir." Colonel Thomas leans toward the Captain and says in a low tone. "Congratulations Captain, you are the pilot." Leonard slowly turns to the Colonel and asks with his eyes wide open. "The pilot of what, Sir?" Thomas smiles as he replies. "You will find soon."

The briefing continues and Doctor Bolton displays more pictures as well as other charts describing the derelict ship that for many resembles a catamaran. One of the items of discussion is the power source of the ship that shows been without power as the recordings of the small rover probe shows. The President asks. "The way they… painted the ship, in a green hue. Would that indicate something about the owners?" The Doctor replies. "No sir, just that they have bad taste… sir."

The President frowns lightly as he moves closer to the camera. General Roberts slowly turns and looks at the Doctor with discontent. Once again, the Doctor clears his throat and warily looks down as he passes his hand through his hair and replies. "I meant… there eye light receptors might be off from our seven colors of the visible spectrum of light, as we see light."

"Has the rover entered deeper into the ship?" The President asked and the Doctor answers. "At this moment the rover is doing that, it takes some… twelve to fifteen minutes for the rover to receive a command relayed via the X-37D and reverse this process of relaying the view to us downstairs, also the position of the large craft in relation to the Earth… forty minutes."

"When this order was given to the rover?" The Doctor is about to answer and the General interrupts. "Sir, just before this briefing."

"Ok, let's wait then. Doctor what else you have found from the ship dug up in Alaska. Could this be a small ship from that large ship?"

"It is possible, actually if it is from the derelict ship we can then precisely pinpoint a date of arrival for the Ark ship."

"How?"

The view changes to an excavation in the Alaskan wilderness. In the picture, a strange small vessel is been hoisted by a crane. The Doctor continues. "As we all know, this ship was found when the Alaskan pipeline was built. Inside the vessel, several small animals were found that died in this small ship, possibly years after it crashed landed. By the… well, the carbon dating puts these animals in the range of one hundred thousand years. Astonishingly the craft was well preserved in the permafrost. And… due to that, I succeeded were my presiding colleague could not…"

The General somewhat irritated interrupts Bolton. "Doctor, the President just wanted to know how long ago the beavers in the small ship died. We all know how you discovered the engines functions and capabilities."

"Yes, sir, sorry sir."

The briefing continues as Captain Adams pays attention to every word it is been said. Colonel Thomas looks discreetly at the reactions of the Captain as the truth unfolds in front of him.

One of the technicians walks to Lieutenant Fox and says something to her in a whisper. She walks to the General as Bolton continues with his briefing to the President. "Sir, excuse me Doctor but the video feed from the rover has arrived. It is ready for us to see, sir."

"Well, put it on. Let's see it." The view of the information of the Doctor is replaced by what seems to be the view of beams from headlights on a wall. Several points of red and blue lasers move on the wall from the rover as it moves toward the wall.

The camera pans to the left and right slowly as the lasers measure distance. A large opening on the deck catches the attention of the artificial intelligent processor and the rover turns slowly toward the opening. Once at the edge it stops and the camera view vibrates lightly as the camera it is raised by the long arm it is mounted on.

Once the opening is in view, the lasers do their job of obtaining a spatial sense of what it is view below. The camera increases the flood light output as the dim lasers provide the needed distance and a large under bay it is seen.

Several boxes are floating about in the lower bay by the lack of gravity. "Is that a toolbox?" Captain Adams said aloud. All turn to him and the General takes a big breath showing disappointment and turns to the screen. The Colonel leans to him and says. "Keep your mouth shut, Captain. You being here it is a miracle."

Doctor Bolton puts his glasses on and looks. He turns to the operator and says. "Rewind to those boxes and zoom in."

The operator does as ordered and zooms in. The Doctor looks at his screen on the podium and says. "He is right… that is a red color toolbox, my father has one like it in his garage." This time the General is looking at the Doctor's screen and the President says as he is looking at the view from space in the Oval Office. The President slowly looks at the camera and says. "General, could our friends might have arrived!?"

"Sir, I do not think the Chinese are up there yet, N.O.R.A.D has not…" "That is a toolbox and I am sure at the dawn of civilization there were no hardware stores on this planet. Don't you agree with me General?"

"I… Mr. President, with all due respect, we need to analyze this video, just because an eager officer said it is a toolbox that does not mean it is… sir." General Roberts rapidly turns to Adams with a stern gaze and then the General looks toward the President. "Ok, General… it is your call, not mine, show the rest of the video."

"Yes, sir."

The video is fast-forwarded to where it stopped and the camera once again moves. This time the arm is bending into the opening and the camera slowly dips into the darkness. Once inside the bay, the camera moves slowly as the lasers move up and down the structure. Walls, doors, and ladders are discerned by the at awe spectators.

When something familiar passes in front of the camera, all stay fixed at their screens but no one says a word. The President clears his throat and says. "General… that is a crescent wrench. The Chinese are already up there. There is no way an alien civilization could duplicate human's tools if they are not physically like us."

"Sir, all I can think at this moment is that they eluded somehow our tracking from N.O.R.A.D. They arrived and something went wrong for their tools to be all over the place. However, sir, there is no sign of their large ship in or around the derelict or even if it has been launched."

"General keep looking and you will find it. I want to review this film here with my advisors. General Roberts, I want Americans on that ship and soon."

"Yes, sir."

"Also, Doctor Lawson… I want her as part of your crew." Roberts frowns with satisfaction and quickly looks at Bolton that is showing disbelief in what he just heard the President said. The General replies. "Yes, sir."

"Good, I will call you in your office at 8 pm tonight and bring your pilot I want to meet him."

"Yes… sir, he will be there." The President's view disappears. Bolton walks rapidly to the General and says highly agitated but in a low tone of voice. "Sir, she can't go."

"You heard the President, Doctor Lawson is going."

"But… she had this whole program stagnant for years and…" "And you came along and fixed it all. Doctor, you did what Doctor Lawson and others could not since the 1970's, and you did it in 30 days… How?" Doctor Bolton robs his hands nervously and quickly stares at Lieutenant Fox, the General notices, but stays silent. Bolton Answers. "Inspiration, I guess."

"Inspiration? Well, find inspiration in those last videos. I want to know where those tools came from."

"Yes, sir." General Roberts walks pass Bolton and addresses the large group. "Go back to your duties. That is all."

The General walks down from the podium platform toward the waiting Colonel and as he passes the Colonel the General looks at the Captain. "Colonel, I want you and him in my office… now."

The General does not stop walking at a brisk pace exits the briefing room. Colonel Thomas looks at the Captain and says. "He is pissed off; when you talk to him… do not fuck it up."

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Tap Dancing in the Old man's Office.

General William A. Roberts Office, 11:30Hrs.

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Colonel Thomas knocks on the door and Roberts's voice comes out clearly irritated. "Come in!" The Colonel and Adams walk in. Both stand in attention and salute as the General reads Adams personnel jacket. Roberts returns the salute and says. "I am not the hell pissed off at you Colonel, go to chow."

"Yes, sir." The Colonel turns and walks out of the office. The Captain stays in attention as droplets of sweat run down his back and the knot in his stomach ties up as if he was flying in a combat zone. The General flips a page and says as he reads. "Did the Colonel tell you not to fuck it up, in here?"

"Yes sir, he did." Roberts looks up, closes the personnel jacket, and says. "He is right. Now tell me. Why should I trust you? What is about you not written in this file of yours?"

"Sir… I do not even know what I am flying; the shuttles are in museums… why am I here?"

"You are a pilot?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then you are probably flying something for me… the dammed door is behind you go through it if you want and have fun in the space station. That will save you the effort to earn my trust in you." Silence as the two men look at each other as if the General is waiting for Adams to fuck up. "I am staying sir."

"You not even know where you are going… or do you?"

"I guess, up there into…" Roberts stands abruptly from his seat and walks around the desk in seconds he is face to face with the young man. "To go up into what, Captain!?"

"Into that thing up there and return home with all hands accounted for, sir!" Adams is showing crossness with his tone but he stays in attention. The old man looks at him, turns around, and seats behind his desk. Adams stays motionless, the General says. "Seat down, Captain."

"Thank you, sir." Adams seats and Roberts open the personnel jacket of the young Captain. "It says here that you flew your Fighting Falcon to support a Marine company in Afghanistan. You drop your payload and saved those men."

"That was my job, sir."

"No… you don't fly your bird supersonic all the way in a combat area. You almost lost your craft flying back in fumes."

"Sir, those men needed… they all deserve to go back home."

"And you don't? Is that it?"

"If is that what it takes."

"Well, let me tell you. You were training to fly with a crew of who knows how many up to the I.S.S. would you risk that crew to save others? You were flying solo in Afghanistan, flying in space you can't just leave all behind and drag others to your crusades."

"I am not dragging anyone to anywhere but home sir."

"The Colonel and I have been flying together for a while, guys like us we fly oak desks now but my job and the Colonel's it is simple. Get the right people to do the right jobs, right. That is all. All this flying Saucer crap it is just… a differently flavored gravy. What I am looking is for the right pilot behind the stick. I can't even begin to understand, why the Colonel pulled your file out of one hundred and fifty other files of pilots with your qualifications and put it on my desk, but you are it."

"Sir?"

"You have the job. Go to the processing office. Is the first door at the end of the hallway to your right and tell Sergeant Culver I sent you and you are the pilot. Be in my office at 20:00 hours tonight the President wants to meet you. That is all."

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet." The Captain stands, salutes and as he walks to the door he stops to ask. "Sir, who is Colonel Taylor?"

"He was a good dammed pilot and a good friend. He passed away three months ago. Captain, you will learn in weeks what he learned from months of training."

"Yes, sir… my condolences sir… ah?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Since when… well, since when all this it is known?" The General puts his glasses as he takes a big breath and says. "Take a seat. I guess I can give you a head start." The Captain seats again and waits as the General opens one of his desk drawers and out of a small combination safe Roberts pulls a thick file and hands it to Adams. "Captain, you remember Doctor Bolton saying that a ship was excavated in Alaska?"

"Yes, sir."

"When they were laying down the oil pipe, the construction crews had to dynamite some hills and what not for the pipe. In one of those excavations, part of this ship was exposed and the constructions crews pulled it out. At first, they thought that it was a Second World War plane and they were thinking they dug just the nose out. They call us and we went to see it…" "You meant the Air Force sir?"

"Yes, well… the wreckage was classified as a helicopter wreck from the 1960's then the Air Force handed the craft to the F.A.A. investigators and for a whole year, no one knew what it was. Until a young physicist lady, Doctor Lawson discovered it was an advanced craft from some other place. Then the Air Force took it back and this program started in 1978 and ever since we been at it."

"No one could tell what kind of craft was? I am sure alien writing must be different."

"That is exactly what threw everyone off track. Everything was in English, some Greek writing here and there. The first time I saw the craft it looked like an Apache helicopter but shorter."

"Why is Doctor Bolton in charge what happened to Doctor Lawson?"

"Lawson has been working on that craft since she found out what it was, but never could crack a strange engine system in the craft. Actually, all the systems in that thing are not different from what with have now or know about. The people that built that ship had one advantage over us. They discovered how to manipulate gravity and generate immense amounts of energy using a compact hydrogen reactor that can power the East Coast for 100 years. They propelled the craft with high-velocity plasma. Also, fly from the Earth to the Moon in that small ship in the picture."

Adams looks closely at the picture and the looks at the General with an expression of astonishment and says. "You are saying that the power of a Saturn V rocket is inside this small thing!?"

"Yes, but we are not that far behind… just maybe two hundred years or so. Still, no one knew what the secondary engine system was for. It had no exhaust. Doctor Lawson thought it was a kind of spinning Tesla coil system that would send a charge outward enveloping the ship to protect it and the crew from space radiation."

"It was not. Then it is a faster than the light engine?" The General smiles and moves his head slightly in approval and says. "You watched a lot of science fiction flicks?"

"Actually sir, it was the emblem displayed in the briefing. The X-37 it is coming out of a ring of light."

"There is no ring or light, it just vanishes in one place and appears in another."

"Wow… that fast… So, Doctor Bolton discovered what the… coils were for?" The General looks down and shakes his head while smiling he replies. "I don't know how that son of a bitch did it but he did. From then on Bolton step into the light and Lawson faded into the background. I tried to help her but she was moved out by her employers."

"I thought you were in charge here, sir."

"I am but all the civilians work for Warfield industries. But I found a back door for her to come back." The Captain smiles so does the General and the young officer asks. "How, sir?"

"She is Federal employee now. I need a scientific advisor for the Air Force here."

"Bolton doesn't like that."

"Not a bit… actually, Lawson is the only one that can find out how Bolton discovered by himself the purpose of those engines."

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The introductions.

General William A. Roberts Office, 19:30Hrs.

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Captain Adams walks into the building that has become his place of duty. He goes through the large reception area where he was waiting for his briefing that morning. Only two guards are posted. Leonard notices that the television has been set in the news channel, he walks to the door and using his new ID pass on the pad the door opens and he enters the hallway.

As he approaches the General's office, the Captain sees Doctor Bolton waiting next to an Air Force officer. He stops and says. "Good evening Doctor Bolton, Lieutenant." The officers salute as Bolton extends his hand asking with curiosity. "Who are you, Captain?"

"I am the new pilot."

"Oh, yes that is right… the toolbox man, yes. You have made quite a commotion down in the basement about your observation."

"Really? I just called it as I see it." The Lieutenant interjects. "I am your co-pilot, Lieutenant Hallock. I am sure we will be in the simulators tomorrow."

"Yes, I am sure. However, I do not know what I am flying yet."

"Sir if the Colonel or the General have not told you then… I can't."

Bolton looks at the two officers quickly and slowly raises his hand pointing toward Adams and with a grin goes to say. "You do not know what are you flying and where. I am amazed how the military works." The office door opens and the Colonel peeks out. "Gentlemen come in." The trio walks in, Bolton and Hallock already know where to seat. In the office, there is one more person a Navy Lieutenant junior grade.

Bolton and Hallock greet the Naval Officer as if been acquainted with him. Adams looks about and finds a seat. General Roberts goes on saying. "Captain this is Lieutenant J.G. Tyson. He is our Chief nuclear engineer expert on the X-37D and the X-16B."

"Good meeting you Lieutenant."

"I as well, sir. Most people around here call me Chief; I really don't know who started that."

"Ok… Chief, but what is the X-16B, another drone, sir?"

"No that is your ship. Pass this picture to the Captain, Chief."

The Chief grabs the legal size picture from the General's hand and gives it to Adams. The Captain looks intently as if trying to remember and says. "This is an X-15 rocket plane or an R-Q4?"

The Chief answers. "Same design but larger than the original X-15… The rear is a Global Hawk design to accommodate the coils and the reactor also it is half the size of a space shuttle, sir."

"This baby has been ready since January, but no Commander pilot… until now." The General said as he looks at the Captain. Adams slowly turns to Lieutenant Tyson and asks him. "You are the engines expert?"

"For the high-velocity plasma propulsion system and the fusion reactor, I am the expert. Doctor Bolton is the expert in the above speed light engines."

"What the light speed engines do? Fold space or ride on a fabric of space wave?" The Doctor answers. "None of that, Wormholes and warping space they are two forms of folding space, they are same just that a different amount of energy is used for each. Warp space propulsion it is space turned into a wave dragging a spaceship using low levels of energy from the engines. Wormholes it is folding or bending space in a much greater curvature, than the wave effect of warping space."

"What else is there other than wormholes and warp speed?"

"Actually, the ship's engine turns the ship into space itself and…" Roberts interrupts. "You die, Captain and then you come back from the dead at the other side… Gentlemen the President is waiting."

Bolton shyly completes his sentence to Adams as the group stands up to follow the General. "… You cease to exist to exist again somewhere else, the same mechanism as a small particle in a collider."

The group stands in front of a large screen at one side of the General's office. The Colonel works a remote control and the view of the Oval Office appears. One of the Presidents aids it's seen and rapidly moves out of the view. The President is moving in the frame from the right and seats behind his desk. "Good evening gentlemen, General I have reviewed your report on the tools we saw on the ship and all inconclusive."

"Yes, Mr. President, the origin of manufacturing it is unknown. The boys in the F.B.I. and the C.I.A. could not identify their manufacturing origin just that those, are tools."

"I see, so no Chinese or any of their manufacturing sources…Um?"

"Sir not even American or European manufactures."

"Then, we exclude all the reasonable possibilities and we end up with the most incredible one. The crew of the derelict was human liked."

Doctor Bolton moves forward and says. "Sir that is what we concluded by examining the height and length of the doors, it is reasonable to conclude that they were human-like." The President puts his hand over his chin as he looks at his laptop and asks. "Have you found any bodies, Doctor?"

"No sir, the rover covered the large landing strip of the ship and no bodies have been seen. Also neither any crew has come out to greet the rover." The President looks straight at the camera and asks. "It looks abandoned, so… if it is empty where did the crew go?"

"That is a good question, sir. The ship might have been adrift empty for countless millennia and wandered into our Solar System. The crew could have abandoned it millions of light years away millions of years ago."

Adams interjects by saying. "Or they jumped ship on Earth, seen that ship from Alaska makes a good argument for it." General Roberts goes to say. "That is what it starts to look like, but we can't reach those conclusions yet."

Doctor Bolton turns toward the young Captain and the General; he shakes his head passing his hand over his head and says. "Do you know what you two are implying? Humankind's origins… are from that ship!? There was only one person that believed that…" The General calmly looks at the unnerved Doctor and replies interrupting him.

"I am not implying I am pointing a possibility, we have no proof as of yet of anything, even of Doctor Lawson's opinion or yours."

The Colonel says. "If that behemoth drifted into our Solar System empty, so could have the ship we have and that of the Chinese. I am convinced that the ship dug in Alaska is from the big one. But that does not indicate that Adam and Eve walked out from it."

The President looks down in deep thought and slowly turns his attention to the camera and says. "The General and the Colonel are correct. We can't jump the gun in certain aspects of this situation given the social implications. We can't go beyond the facts based on what we have seen so far. I have reviewed the information from N.O.R.A.D and the C.I.A. and all points that the Chinese are still on the ground. When are we going up there, General?"

"Sir, let me introduce you to Captain Leonard Adams. He will be the Commander of the X-16B."

"Captain, I know you got the job this morning. You have to fill the big boots Colonel Taylor left behind."

"I am aware of that Mr. President, but my boots will do the job. I can't believe I will ever fill his sir. But I do not know how he died?" General Roberts replies. "His aircraft suffered an unexplained mayor catastrophic failure over a densely populated area. Instead of ejecting, he flew his aircraft to the ocean. The aircraft and he has not been found yet."

"I have not heard anything in the news." Adams said and the President replies. "And you will not, Captain. Due to the security around the project as the possible cultural and social implications, all must be kept secret."

There is a moment of silence and then the President again speaks to Adams. "Lucky you the X-16B controls are identical to the Space Shuttle. The difference is that the X16B it is faster."

"Yes sir, I will start the simulator training tomorrow. With the help of Lieutenant Hallock, I will be ready soon, sir."

"Good to hear that. General, have you picked a date?"

"Yes sir, June the sixth." The President stays silent, slowly smiles, and asks Roberts. "You picked that day in purpose or by some kind of scientific divination?"

"D-Day sir that is basically what we are doing, landing on a perilous beach." The President looks straight at the camera and says. "June sixth it is, General."

"I will sir."

"Hello." A woman's voice is heard from behind the military men and the Doctor. All turn to look. Captain Adams stays still not knowing who the woman is but the General, as well as the Colonel, Lieutenant Hallock, and Chief engineer Tyson smile. Bolton takes a big breath angry at the world as the woman approaches the group.

The President is smiling as well and he asks. "Is that Doctor Lawson?" Roberts replies. "Yes, sir… late as always."

"Oh, Adam… I have a good excused. How do you do Mr. President?"

"I am fine, Doctor." Doctor Lawson shakes hands with the officers. She gets close to Bolton and shakes hands with him. Although they smile, all can notice the coldness between them. "Hello, Doctor Lawson."

"Hello, Marcus… ups. you have something brown on the tip of your nose." Bolton passes his finger over his nose as Lawson walks backward from him smiling. The military gentlemen that know Lawson already are holding their laugh and Bolton asks. "Is it gone?"

The Colonel can't hold it and turns around saying. "Oh, God." He coughs as to hide his laughter as the rest stay still. The President has his head tilted down with his hand over his forehead as he flips some pages. The General goes to say. "That is the spark we were missing." Lawson looks at the General and says. "Oh… You, thank you, Adam. What did I miss?"

"Not much." The President goes to say. "Well, I am sure General Roberts will fill you in on the details. It is good to see you back, Doctor. I have to stay up late and tend other… Earthly matters. Good Night."

"Good night sir," Roberts said and the screen goes dark. The Colonel uses the remote and turns off the Television. Bolton says. "General if I am not needed, I will be downstairs."

"Ok Doctor."

Bolton walks hurriedly to the door and leaves. Chief Tyson goes to say. "I don't think that brown stain on his nose will go away." The Colonel adds as he sits down. "Sometimes no one can tell when Bolton starts and Helen Warfield ends. He is up that gal when she is here."

As all seat, General Roberts glances at the Colonel and says. "I know of people that got closer to Helen Warfield and were not brown-nosing." Doctor Lawson looks quickly at the Colonel with a slight worry and sad expression then looks at the General as reproving his comment. The General clears his throat says, as he looks to some papers on his desk. "Sorry."

The Colonel replies. "Ah… that is water under the bridge." The Doctor turns to Adams and asks changing the topic about Helen. "Are you the new pilot?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, drop the Ma'am call me Rosaline. Save the Doctor for work." Hallock leans forward toward the Doctor and asks. "What have you been doing?"

"Searching stuff, you know." Roberts smiles, his eyes move first toward the Doctor as slowly his head follows and asks. "You have been in the Smithsonian haven't you?"

"There and several North American and South American Indian reservations, Cancun was beautiful."

"Since when Cancun it is an Indian reservation?" She smiles and the General then asks. "What did you find?"

"Myths and Legends from native people that, humans are from the stars." The Colonel asks in a sarcastic tone. "So, what Doctor… you found Eden among the stars?"

"No, but there are some cultures narratives that point that way. To tell you the truth the Conquistadors did a good job in cleaning that up. I can't go outside look up and point up… hey, that is the place." She replied in a jovial tone. All smile. "No clue what so ever?" Adams asked and the Doctor turns to him and smiles. "Just some stories that point up. Like the Mayan heart stones, this myth points to Orion."

"What is that Myth?" Hallock asked. The Doctor leans backward on the sofa well knowing she has turned this visit in an all-night event. She answers.

"The Mayans believe that Orion's belt represented the back of a celestial turtle from where the first father came from. The first father emerged from a crack in the back of this celestial turtle been Orion's belt, to put people in the world."

"A ship!?" The Chief asked as he leans forward in amazement. The Doctor Smiling replies. "Not a ship but a passage of a ship through the Orion constellation."

"That is the only Myth you have found?" Roberts asks. "Well, there is an intriguing one from the Norse. The Myth of Frig, Odin's wife, she gave knowledge to humans on how to spin thread to make linen cloth."

"So… what that has to do with Orion?" The Colonel asked. "The Norse saw the Constellation of Orion differently. Instead of Hunter's sword, they saw a spindle and a distaff."

"They knew how to make pants." Hallock says and the Doctor replies. "Knowledge… knowledge came from someone. Why the Norse picked Orion?"

"Because they saw a spindle and staff as we see a warrior." The General said and the Doctor smile and replies to his sarcastic jovial comment. "Bill, you are always the pragmatic one. Now that you say, warrior, there are two other Myths you just remind me of. The Tewa tribe in New Mexico they see Orion as a hero, who led their people on a long journey to freedom and the Chinese thought of Orion as warrior general. Scorpios was Orion's enemy and both fought and Scorpios won."

The Colonel takes a swallow of his orange juice he smiles and asks. "So Orion lost and what that has to do with tea in China Doc?"

"Don't you see… these two myths in combinations with other diverse cultures Myths, they point to a war. Someone lost and came to Earth."

"How did they know to come here?" Tyson asked and the Doctor shrugs her shoulders replying as she leans toward the Chief. "I don't know but there is a Mongolian Myth that tells of a hunting of the stars about Orion's belt, the victor hunting down the losers or the survivors."

The General stands as he looks at his watch and says. "Doctor as always, entertaining conversation, but these gentlemen have to wake up early." All stand and Adams says. "I don't know… but, these Myths have some kind of…" "A Ring of truth?" The Doctor said and Adams does not find the right words to reply.

"What is your degree in Captain?" The Doctor asked. "I have a Masters in electronic engineering and a minor in computer science." The Doctor turns to the General and says. "I need an un-bias opinion, can you spare the Captain to my care. I want him to see the ship from Alaska?" The General looks at the Doctor with concern and says. "Don't start trouble with Bolton and with Warfield industries."

"Oh, Adam… you, me and all here want to know how Bolton did it. I think it was that tall burnet… what's her name, Lieutenant Fox? She found something and gave it to him."

"Whatever you find you come to me first, no detours… straight to me. Understood!?"

"Yes sir, crystal clear."

"Ok then, I will see you gentlemen in the simulators at 0700Hrs for training. I want all of you helping Captain Adams to get up to speed. Good night." All stand up as the Captain, Lieutenant and the Chief salute the two senior officers and give the good nights to Doctor.

The young ones leave. The General turns to the Doctor in a stoic posture raising his left hand pointing at her and he goes to say to the Doctor. "Don't start shit, I know you. It took the President of The United States to bring you back. Helen Warfield is a heavyweight with some in Congress."

"I will come straight to you, you know me." The Colonel answers. "That is why the General and I are worried Doc, don't drag that kid with you."

"Of course not Colonel. Anyway, Colonel… I remember you and Miss Warfield had something going back in the day. You can put a good word for us." The Colonel looks surprised and then with a tone of annoyance he replies. "You said it… back in the day. I met her during the gulf war when she was just a tech advisor for daddy Warfield and I have not seen her since."

The General smiles and says. "Don't lie, you two were engaged. Her father died and the wedding went under."

"I am sorry Colonel, I forgot… well, if I am not needed. Good night gentlemen."

.

.

New tricks for old dogs in the Basement.

April 1, 2012 at 0800Hrs. MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa Florida.

.

Incorporate X-16B training simulator room.

The simulated cockpit rests securely on a yellow metal platform. One foot diameter serpentine yellow houses surround the cockpit section providing air-conditioning to the computerized system. The simulator's lower arms once again are still as a new pre-launch simulation of the X-16B is underway.

The emblem of the X-37 and that of NASA are side by side on the rear exit of the simulator. Technicians and other engineers control the simulator from several stations in the large room. Colonel Thomas is in the main simulator control room standing in front of a window, observing from above the exercise.

He has been quiet and when the simulator moves he turns to look at a large computer screen next to him, following the progress of the test.

Inside, wearing full gear Captain Adams seats in the mission Commander's seat, Lieutenant Hallock is next to him in the pilot's seat as well in full gear. Behind Hallock, it is Lieutenant Fox in the systems section overseeing the three main computers and other computerized subs- systems of the modified version of the X-15. Lieutenant junior grade Tyson is seating behind Adams managing the plasma propulsion exhaust system and the reactor.

The only unoccupied station is the above light speed station for the A.S.L coils engines where Doctor Bolton would seat. He has been busy in his section with other tasks for the project and the General excused him. Adams looks at the checklist book strapped to his right thigh reading out loud all that he is about to do.

All the controls are very familiar to Adams with few but significant differences. One is to compensate for the gravitational pull of the Sun. Another is a camera system mounted around the hull to be used near the Sun as they approach the derelict ship.

"… Pressurize liquid hydrogen tank." Adams said and Hallock responds. "Pressurizing."

"Deactivate SRB joint heathers."

"Check, SRB joint heaters deactivated."

"X-16B transfers from ground to internal power." Chief Tyson replies. "Transfer to internal, check."

"Ground launch sequencer is a go, for auto sequence start." Lt. Fox says. "Transition of onboard computers to launch configuration it is a go." Adams quickly looks at all the indicators in green except for one that still red. He stops and says. "Shit!"

The Colonel's voice it is heard in the comm system as Adams annoyance is notable as he flips the checklist book pages to the beginning. "Shit is right Captain. This is not the shuttle. You have to pressurize the spinning coils cylinders before you pressurize the liquid hydrogen tank. Or that above light speed engines will not work…Start from the top Captain."

"Yes, sir.

"How is he doing?" The Colonel looks behind him to see General Roberts and Thomas replies. "Out of three launches he missed once the coils."

"They might have to go up there before June the sixth."

"Why?" The General hands a folder to Thomas with the latest pictures taken from the derelict. Thomas slowly examines the pictures in awe. Roberts goes on to say. "That small ship is docked in the starboard side of the derelict and the X-37 took those pictures last night."

"The Chinese made it… how?"

"We don't know how."

"Could it be that this ship has been always docked to the derelict, it looks like a cargo ship?"

"If the derelict it is as old as Bolton said so must be this one. Correct?"

"Yes."

"Look at the last picture, is an amplification of the cockpit of that cargo ship."

The Colonel looks at the picture as his old friend told him to do. The Colonel brings the picture closer to his face to see better and then slowly looks at the General. "The lights are on and… and there is someone by the window."

"Who else could be but the Chinese?"

"Oh… my, has the President seen this!?"

"He has and there is a full staff meeting at 17:00Hrs in the briefing room. Keep pushing the training I will see you then."

The Colonel hands the folder with a halfway open mouth while his face shows his astonishment. Roberts opens his eyes wide showing great concern of what the pictures implicate and taps the folder on his left-hand takes a big breath and say. "Take an inventory of the special weapons in the arms room. Give me the report by 1630Hrs."

"You think that?"

"I hope not."

The simulation continues, now the scenario from takeoff to the final approach to the derelict is been played. The X-16B has to land in the same landing pad nacelle where the rover is. With the sensory information gathered by the rover and the X-37 a three dimensional representation has been generated for training, the two pilots maneuver for the final approach for the fifth time.

"…One second forward thruster one-third blast." Captain Adams said as Hallock checks his H.U.D. and replies. "Lateral spin of the derelict is one quarter, up on its port side… compensating for a 20-degree angle on the O.G.S."

"Do not compensate… I.G.S. angle in 3…2…1…now."

"214 miles per hour… 175.5…" "Forward thrusters half blast… two seconds." Hallock looks at Adams as if he did not hear him well and repeats to the mission commander "Forward thrusters half blast… two seconds, sir?"

"Yes on my mark… 3… 2 …1… Mark." The forward thrusters fired and the simulator mimics the deceleration of their ship as they approach the derelict's hangar. Hallock turns to Adams and says. "35 M.P.H. and approaching… are we compensating for the up drift of the derelict?"

"No. Forward lights on… landing gear down. I see the rover's beacon, forward thrusters to full stop… now."

The simulated scenario stops moving and the flight Commander says. "Wait for it." Hallock looks at him with a smile and suddenly in the comm system the voice of the Colonel it's heard again. "Captain, that ship is a VTOL craft… land that thing now!" The simulator jolts lightly and the landing gear touchdown indicator lights up. The two pilots give each other a high five.

Tyson and Fox smile by the unexpected maneuver. Over the communication system, the Colonel is heard saying "Damm?" The Colonel then stays silent and Adams says in the comm systems. "Colonel the runway is moving up. The thing is adrift. We saved some fuel."

"Yes, in a simulator. Land that ship as the S.O.P. says. Start from the top again, Captain."

"Yes, sir, from the top."

After two more hours in the simulator, the training crew comes out. The Colonel is standing by the hatch as one by one of the crew comes out. The technicians start to remove part of the Astronaut's gear and from there they will go to the Crew Operations and Check-in area and take the rest off. The Colonel gets close to the Captain and says. "That VTOL crap, it was good but follow the standard operating procedures. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"All of you get cleaned up. There is a briefing in the big room at 17:00Hrs."

"Yes, sir." The Colonel walks away and Hallock taps Adam on his back. "Good Shi… stuff sir." The senior technician says. "Please follow me." The group walks out of the simulator area toward the processing section. The crew is more confident of the commanding pilot than when they got into the simulator.

.

.

The Unbelievable Truth.

.

After an hour in the processing room, Adams walks out of the lockers into the hallway. "Captain, hold on." He turns to see Doctor Lawson approaching him. "Yes Doctor how I may help you."

"I have the keys to the car… follow me."

"Excuse me?"

"The ship from Alaska or you forgot? The General said I could borrow you for a while."

"Well… I still do not know how I can help you with that."

"Oh, come on. Aren't you curious to see the inside of an Alien ship?"

"Yes, ok Doctor. You lead the way."

"Then let's go before the big briefing."

"Do you know what is going on?"

"The General isn't talking and I will not ask… again, but it looks like something important happen."

The two continue down the corridor and Doctor Lawson stops at a stairwell door and the Captain opens the door and both go in. Leonard realizes that he has not been in this section of the underground facility. They descend as others go up. The Doctor goes to say. "This area that we are going, we call it the basement. This is where the technology and science research takes place."

"No elevators?" The Doctor smiles and replies. "Let us say… we are using the back door. I don't want too many people to see us."

"One is, Doctor Bolton?"

"Yes."

"Why do you and the General find suspicious how he came about with the function of the spinning coils?"

"For one, that was not his research, it was mine. Second, he hardly worked with the propulsion."

"You guys reversed engineer it?"

"We took it apart piece by piece, re-furbish all that we could with materials that our technology provided and put it all together. Surprisingly all the materials we had to assemble the ship worked and we had the knowledge to build them. All that ship needs is whatever fuel it uses and it could fly."

"What kind of fuel uses, I thought it was Hydrogen?"

"From the samples taken from the empty fuel cells, we think it is a highly concentrated and one hundred percent pure derivative of Deuterium which it comes from Hydrogen. We don't know how to process that Hydrogen fuel derivative of Deuterium. All the electrical and flight controls work by an external power source in the bay."

"It most uses a lot of juice?"

"Actually it takes as much power as a… how you flyboys call it, is a Navy plane with the big Saucer on top? Chief Tyson told me once but I forgot."

"Ah, yea a… it called a Hawkeye, an E-2 Navy sentry plane. Why you compare it to that aircraft?"

"I don't know why… but I was the one that used that Hawkeye plane as an example once in a briefing after Tyson and I were checking its total consumption of power for the control systems. Do not ask me why I just did. By the way, what... it uses a lot of juice is the A.L.S. coils. We estimate the power required is in the upper range of 10900 powers."

"Wow." That is all that Adams said as both reach the bottom of the stairs and again Adams opens the door for the Doctor walking down the corridor. At the end of the corridor, the Captain sees a large door resembling a bank vault door through a small thick glass window of a small security office.

The Doctor and the Captain enter the office and face a large cement reception counter. A thick glass protects the four-armed guards on the other side. The Doctor and the Captain slide their ID's through a slid to the guard.

One of the guards in the back takes the identifications scans them as the phone rings two times and the guard picks it up but does not talk. Waiting as for someone to pick up the other line, the Doctor turns to the young Captain and explains. "The General set us up with a pass. They scan the ID's and the computer calls the person that set up the appointment for the access. Only the General and the Colonel have the authority to allow access."

"Wow, what happens if they do not answer?"

"They have their duty phones on them at all times. If the General does not picks up the system calls the Colonel."

"So… what happens if neither answers?"

"The guards seal this room and it is flooded with Halon." The Doctor looks serious as the Captain tilts his head slightly backward with his eyes wide open. Then the Doctor smiles and says. "Don't worry, no one answers they give back the identifications and we come later."

"Doc, please don't do that. I am new here."

"I know that is why I did it. I could not pass the chance."

The door buzzes and the magnetic locks are released. The Captain opens the door and the Doctor goes in. Both visitors pass through a metal detector and at the other side they get their personal effects made of metal. The guards are smiling and the one handing over the identifications goes to say. "Hey Doc, you told the Captain the Halon joke. Sir your expression was priceless."

"I am sure it was Sergeant." Adams replied showing some dislike about the joke been remind it by a junior ranking. The Doctor puts her arm around the Captain's arm and says. "Oh, come on Captain. These guys have been down here since yesterday, besides they are friends. Let's see the craft."

The guard's smiles have vanished, by now, Leonard turns and walks with the Doctor. They stand behind a painted semicircle line on the floor an audible intermittent beep it's heard as red lights flash on the sides of the door the large metal vault door slowly opens.

Two of the guards stand behind them and when the door it is fully open all four enter. The guards stay by the door inside the bay as the door closes.

The Doctor and the Captain walk to the strange craft in the middle of the bay. Black thick rubberized cables come out of a large yellow box almost knee high. The cables join at the end into one connector supplying power to the small ship. Captain Adams walks around the craft passing his hand over the fuselage.

He slows to look at the two rear engines up high and continues to the front He again stops at the front and looks intently at the ship. The Doctor walks up to him. "You like?"

"It looks familiar… like, I have seen it before."

"That was the thought when I saw it the first time in the F.A.A. storage in Anchorage. The General had the same feeling but he dismissed it. He said that it reminds him of an Apache helicopter."

The Captain moves his head slowly as a yes but not sure of his silent answer. The Doctor walks to the yellow power box and flips a wide black switch up and the light on the box turns green.

A buzzing sound it's heard coming from the craft. "Captain, help me climb on the on the wing." Adams helps the Doctor climb, and then she presses a button on the side of the craft's close to the door. The hatch lifts open. "Come in Captain, I am sure this is what you been waiting all your life."

The young Captain climbs the wing and carefully gets in. He looks up to see how high the overhead is. He erects his body and examines the controls in the rear section. The Doctor walks next to him. She is silently enjoying the childlike discovery aptitude of the Captain. She can tell by his body language that he is in awe with the tour. He walks to the front and looks at the two pilot's seat and then the controls.

The Doctor goes to say. "You can…" Before she finishes the Captain lifts the middle panel. She is surprised and asks. "How, you knew to lift that panel?"

"I… I guess it." He seats in the left seat and Adams says with surprise. "You guys label all in English?"

"No, the words were always in English. We don't know why."

"English speaking extraterrestrials… no, that is impossible. Or maybe, these guys are from the future?"

"That has been debated and the argument for it is very strong. However, no conclusive evidence has been found for any argument as to the origin of this ship."

"What is your opinion?" The Doctor is silent, clears her throat, and says. "You want my official one or my personal exoteric one?" Both smile and the young Captain answers. "Your exoteric one."

"This ship and the derelict are from the same place and people, humans from a space-faring civilization that arrived on Earth hundreds of thousands of years ago."

"Ok… humans from outer space, but why all is in English and not… Cuniform writhing. The English language is recent in human history and this ship is older than dirt." The Doctor smiles and replies. "You are right with that point. This… language evolution is the only thing that throws my theory out of the wagon."

"Not really… all the myths you researched are accurate with regards to this ship and their crews. It's just that you want to believe that they are not time travelers or accidental time travelers, from our future."

"If they are from the future, they know what we know on how to avoid the accident that made this craft crash. But it is also this sense of familiarity with this ship. Like a deep nostalgic memory from the past. Of been more about this ship's history, is like a memory that I can't bring into my conscious mind." Adams is amazed at the deep connection between the doctor and the ship, he replies. "This is your life's work doc. That is how you should feel."

"No, that is not it." Both stay silent and Lawson says. "You are the first astronaut to seat here. What can you… what would be the first thing you would do to fly this thing?" Adams turns to face the controls and replies. "Well, I would need a pre-flight checklist… a manual in an accessible place for the pilots. Did you find any?"

"No, we never did."

"Well if I was them, I would put it here." The Captain looks down along the left side of the seat on the firewall; he notices an empty narrow and slanted container. "No Cigar?" The Doctor asked. "You guys took all apart and put it together years back. If a flight manual were to be found would have been here… Um?"

The Captain carefully looks on the control panel and reads aloud. "Electrical master switch… can I?" He looks back at the Doctor and she replies. "Go on, that is why you are here. We already have flipped that switch and nothing has blown up… yet."

The Captain pulls upward the metal switch from the safe position and moves it forward. All the avionics come alive in the cockpit. The attitude director indicator and the horizontal situation spheres move as to find their right orientation. Adams recognizes the sound of spinning gyroscopes behind the main panel.

The cockpit panels are ready for a flight to nowhere. A flashing light draws his attention; he looks at the indicator and then looks behind him. "What is it, Captain?"

"The hatch is open."

"Did they really need a little light to tell them that?"

"Safety first, no matter what planet you are from."

"That would be a universal concept."

The Captain looks to his right side and sees a blank screen next to the central panel. "Why that one does not work?"

"That one and there is one in the back controls that do not work. We really could not tell why."

"It is not screwed in and does not seem to be part of the control panel."

"That is a detachable screen in a cradle; we never could find the purpose and does not receive power from the craft."

"You know Doc, I have one of this at Home."

"What…?" The Captain pulls the screen from the cradle and looks at it from all angles. The Doctor goes to say with surprise. "An E-book reader!?"

"Yes Doctor, I guess back in the 1970's no one knew what this was."

"I'll be… that is the manual for this?"

"If I find how to turn it on, although the batteries most…wow." The pad comes to life showing words and schematics Adams is surprised that the pad works. The Doctor bends closer to look and says. "This pad was never re-furbished and after all these centuries it works!?"

"Also it kept the digital info. I would like to have an electric car with this kind of batteries."

"I as well… wow. Maybe, it receives power when the ship is on. What it says?"

The Captain finds the chapter index and reads. "F.T.L. Drive system… Um? Faster than light, that is how they called it, perhaps? I guess your Doctor friend found this first. Doc, pass me the one in the back." Lawson walks on the platform to the back seat area and asks. "So what is this ship for, Captain?"

"You were right in your guess. This ship is their version of our Navy Hawkeye E-2 Sentry."

She walks back to the rear control section, pulls the other pad, and brings it to Adams. He puts the first pad on the side and works on the other one. He does the same and the pad does not light up as the other one did.

He exams it and then grabs the first that he pulled from the forward section of the cockpit and compares their weight. "Doctor, this pad it is empty."

"What do you mean empty?" Adams exams it in more detail especially on the edges where it looks like the pad comes apart. "Look Doc, someone wedge something here… like a small screwdriver… hold on."

The Captain takes a good hold of the pad and with some force; he splits the back from the front. He looks inside and continues to open it. "This pad was gutted out, they left the screen." Adams said. "Who would do that?"

"What is the rear section for, Doc?"

"We are still debating it. Well… now with the information you have on the front pad, the rear must be the radar or… sensor station."

"It is called the combat information center. I am sure they could track targets and jammed enemy communications from back there. Most probably, they also had countermeasures. That is very common in an aircraft configuration like this one." The Doctor stays silent in deep thought; she looks down and then up asking. "If the owners of this ship had a space Army then, who were there enemies?"

Adams grabs the working pad and scrolls searching for any clue to answer the Doctor's concern. "Not here, this is the flight manual. However, one thing it is for sure, Doctor Bolton got the scoop about the light speed coils from this pad and probably took the insides of the other one with him. But why?"

"If the motherboard of the empty pad it is as small as it looks. He could have put it in a laptop passing it through the X-Ray machine in the guard's room and walking out with it."

"For his personal use?"

"I bet Warfield industries had something to do with this."

"So we have him or not?"

"Not quite… yet, did you touch the inside of the empty pad?"

"No, why?"

"Let's take these two pads to the General before the briefing starts."

.

.

The confrontation.

General Roberts Office, 15:25 Hrs.

.

General Roberts called Doctor Bolton to his office. The Doctor knocks on the door and he hears the Colonel say. "Come in!" Bolton enters and sees the Colonel and the General as well as Doctor Lawson and two guards standing at both sides of the door. He looks around discerning that things are not right and gets nervous.

He moves forward and Bolton stands in front of Roberts's desk, rubbing his hands and the General says in a low monotone and calm voice. "Take a seat Doctor." Bolton somehow felt his anger, then he looks at the two guards and his heart plummets to his stomach. The General says. "You two, wait outside." The guards leave and Bolton asks. "How may I help you, sir?" The General points toward his desk and asks. "Do you recognize these pads?" Bolton raises his body to look and seats again. He is silent and the Colonel says. "That is how you found out about the… F.T.L. drives of the ship?"

"F.T.L. What is that?" Lawson leans forward and says. "Oh come on Marcus, you are busted."

"No, I do not know what you people are talking about?" The General pivots on his chair to look at Bolton in silence. Then Roberts asks. "You knew about these pads did you?"

"No, I did not." Roberts continues. "One thing is to find information with regards to this project and keep it a secret on how you found the information but other is to steal classified material. Come clean now, Doctor. How did you found out about the above light speed coils?" Bolton is nervous, looks down, and says. "Lieutenant Fox… she told me about the engines. I asked her how did she know and she said that she had an inspiration… a gut feeling. That is all, but I did not steal anything."

"And you claimed victory and Doctor Lawson lost her job. What a piece of…" The General interrupts Thomas to say. "So now you implicate Fox and you are off the hook?"

"That is what happened." The General picks the phone, as the office is flooded with an un-nerved silence. "Locate Lieutenant Fox and have her report to my office." The General hangs the phone and says. "We will find out." Lawson goes to say. "You sniveling, little man. You took my job… my life's work for what!? Just for a dammed pay raise!?"

"I have worked hard as many others and no recognition what so ever. You were in the spotlight all the time and the rest in the shadows of the great Doctor Lawson."

"I saw it first, I took that ship apart and put it back together, all that worked with me got their recognition but you wanted more." There is a knock on the door and the silence returns. "Come in." The General said and Fox walks in stands in attention then salutes. "Lt. Fox reporting as ordered sir."

"Approach my desk and identified this two items." Fox gets close to the desk and looks. "Those are the screens from the ship. One is from the front and the other for the rear, sir."

"One is empty; the motherboard was taken out. Do you know what happened?"

"Yes, sir I took it out." All raise their heads and all eyes are fixed on the Lieutenant, the Colonel asks irritated. "How come you did not tell anyone?"

"I discovered that both were a kind of e-book readers. The rear one did not work. I took it out, log it in the repair parts log, and stow it in the secure tech lockers in research lab two."

"There is no log entry register with regards to this motherboard anywhere."

"Colonel I assure there is a log entry, I did it in front of the guards in the vault's guard shack. The board was tag and I was escorted to the lab by one of the guards. The motherboard is in locker five."

"Why you moved it to lab two?" The Colonel asked. "I wanted to repair it and find more about the ship. I never got around it, sir." Roberts looks intently at Fox. His anger is evident and asks calmly. "Did you tell Doctor Bolton about the F.T.L. Drive?" Fox hesitates for a moment with surprise she stays silent and the Colonel says. "You had an inspiration, Lt?"

"I read the technical information of the F.T.L and… told Doctor Bolton about it, sir."

"Why you did not use the proper channels about your discovery?" Lawson asked and the Lieutenant replies. "Doctor Bolton was the duty researcher that night. I was working late and reported to him what I found with regards to both pads."

Roberts reclines back in his chair and turns to Thomas. "Get the two guards, go with the Lieutenant, and find that motherboard." However, before the Lieutenant walks out Roberts says. "Lieutenant Fox, although you followed procedures, you knew why Doctor Lawson was moved from us and all others circumstances with regards to her departure and said nothing. You are not off the hook… I am talking to you as well Bolton. That is all."

"Can I go?" Bolton said and the General just looks at him. Bolton stands and walks out. Lawson stays as Roberts stares at the door. "Well, what now?"

"What?" Lawson distracts the General with her question and she adds. "They are not going?"

"No, I have to get Lt. Duale to replace Fox before tomorrow. I feel sorry for Fox been dragged by Bolton."

"What is happening tomorrow?" The Doctor asked with surprise and the General answers. "The countdown in Vandenberg to launch has begun. In twenty-four hours from now, you and the others are going to be in the derelict."

"Why so soon!?" The General stands and says. "You will find out in the briefing."

.

.

Marching Orders.

Main Briefing room, 1600Hrs.

.

The auditorium is full and some people had to stand up in the rear of the room. Captain Adams seats in the same place he did yesterday. Looking about he realizes how many civilians and military personnel from different branches work under General Roberts. Hallock is next to him and Adams asks. "You guys have briefings like this, a full house?"

"No, usually it's a specific department. This must be important." The Captain looks past Hallock and sees a new face in the row. Adams turns about looking and then asks Hallock. "Where is Lt. Fox?"

"I have not seen her, sir."

"Who is that Civilian, the one after the Chief?" Hallock looks over and then replies. "That is Lt Duale. She is a computer system specialist, maybe…" "Attention!" All stand up hearing Colonel Thomas announcing the entrance of General Roberts. As always, he walks at a brisk pace toward the podium followed by the Colonel. Once in front of the microphone, he starts the briefing. "As you were. Please look at the big screen." The screen comes on displaying the small ship docked to the side of the larger one. "This ship was discovered by the X-37D at 0700 Zulu."

The General continues as he changes the pictures on the screen. "The CIA and other ground assets, as well as NORAD, confirm that the Chinese ship it is still on the ground been prep for launch, soon. However, it is the opinions of many in Washington as well as mine that they sent this other ship first. The countdown for the X-16B in Vandenberg has begun, since 0400 Hrs. From this room Crew members and specialists will get on a bus that will take them to a C-5 cargo plane with all their equipment to Vandenberg." The General stands away from the podium and the Colonel takes over. "Main flight Crew you are going to board the first bus. Teams, 1 & 2 the second bus and teams 4 and 5 the last. There are PLS trucks uploading the transport containers into the C-5, stay away from them. Ok, Move out!"

All stand and commence to walk out into the central walkway. The General says. "One moment." All stops to listen. The General takes a moment to think his words as all silently wait. "All of you are here because you are the best of what you do. Not one person among you can outdo anyone. We work as one and we all stay as one. Do what you know best and help the next person to you. That is all, good luck." The large group resumes there walk again up the stairs. Adams turns to Hallock and asks. "What was that?"

"I don't know, sir."

Once outside the group divides walking to their respective buses. An airman stands at the door of the Bus, checks the ID's and writes in a clipboard which person he has in the Bus. Once full, the convoy of buses departs toward the flight line. They enter an empty hangar and all can see two C-5 cargo planes been loaded on the flight line.

Several feet away next to the parked buses, there is a table with several enlisted airmen.

The passengers are directed to their respective tables so the airmen can inscribe them in the flight manifest. Several Palletized load system cargo trucks are driving away empty from the two planes. Captain Adams and his flight crew are taken to the first Cargo plane that is already closing its rear ramps.

The group enters and the flight crew of the C-5 shows them their seats. Once seated the group relaxes. This time Adams seats next to Lt. Duale. Adams looks at her extending his hand. "Lt. Duale, welcome aboard."

"Thank you, Captain."

"What happened with Lt. Fox?"

"I do not know sir."

"How come you are in civilian clothing?"

"I was in Orlando celebrating my nephew's birthday when I received the call about an hour ago. I drove like a lunatic on Highway 4, to get here. I not even had time to put my uniform."

"Oh, wow. So whatever happened to Lt. Fox, it happened just… Um?" Adams stops, realizing that the change of crew might be due to the pads he and Doctor Lawson discovered. "Sir, what happened?"

"Nothing… I am just trying to remember if I paid all the utility bills for my apartment."

"Darn, you are right." One of the aircrews goes to each passenger checking his or her safety harness. As he is doing that the large aircraft, taxis on the flight line toward the main runway. Adams turns to Hallock and asks. "Where is Doctor Lawson?"

"I am sure she is with the General and the Colonel."

"It looks to me that those three are longtime friends."

"Actually sir, Colonel Thomas was the best man in General Roberts and Doctor Lawson's wedding. They are divorced now." The Captain expression was of numb surprise, he smiles and shakes his head gently and asks. "Come again!?"

"They were married, No one asks… so, we leave it at that. But the Colonel and the General know each other since 1987 from flight school."

"That long ago?" The C-5 lines up to the runway increase speed as the roar of the engines, as well as the vibration, overtake the cavernous plane. A small increased of G-force presses gently downward and to the back as the air behemoth goes up banking to port toward California.

.

.

Boots on the ground and no time to lose.

Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

.

The flight crew awakens Captain Adams. The ramps are down and ground support crews walk into the modern manmade cavern to unload the cargo. The group of astronauts and technicians walk toward the exit. A bus it is waiting for them by the C-5. The driver checks the Id's and one by one enters the bus.

The debarkation was so fast no one could speak. Once in the bus, Adams asks Hallock. "I am sure we are getting a briefing?"

"Hope so, or we just go up and do whatever we want."

"I wish."

The bus takes them close to the space launch complex three. Adams looks out and briefly sees the modified Atlas Heavy Lift Vehicle on the launch pad with the 60,000 pounds X-16B encapsulated in the top PLS section.

The bus stops in front of a windowless building. An officer gets on the bus and stands by the driver calling for the crew of the X-16B only. The officer escorts them into the building and all pass through the security checkpoint. They are taken to a briefing room, one long table and at the end a large projection screen. Each chair has their names and on the table a manual for each astronaut.

The escorting officer goes to say. "The briefing will start when Doctor Lawson arrives. Her plane landed a few minutes behind yours. There are coffee and pastries over here."

"Where is the head?" Chief Tyson asked. All look at him and Hallock replies. "Arrrr, the old sea dog wants to use the latrine." Tyson smiles and says. "Land lovers, darn." The escorting officer replies. "Those two doors… right door Males left Females." Adams asks the officer. "The countdown where is it at?"

"Sir that it is something I do not know. The L.C.C. Commander and General Roberts will brief you on that. If you all excuse me I have to wait for them." The officer leaves as the Chief, stands up as well as Duale toward the latrines. Adams sees the emblem of the 30th Space Wing and the Joint Functional Component Command at both sided of the room.

"Crazy shit, sir?"

"Yes, we have been on a rollercoaster since the briefing in MacDill. I thought we were going straight to the change room."

"I as well, sir." The door opens and a four stars general followed by General Roberts, Colonel Thomas, and Doctor Lawson enter the room. The two junior officers stand in attention, the four stars look at them and smiles. "Seat gentlemen. Where are the Chief and the Lieutenant?" Adams answers. "In the latrine, sir."

The two come out hearing the commotion outside and the Colonel says. "Please be seated." Doctor Lawson takes her place among the crew, the two Generals, and the Colonel seat at the head of the table.

"I am General Maxwell. This briefing is to tell you several things never before disclosed to anyone below General Roberts. This has to do with several others types of research conducted independently from your department. I will get to the point."

Maxwell dims the lights and the projector shows a Boeing 747-100 with the X-16B in its back. Maxwell goes on to say. "We pulled the Shuttle transporter from the Dryden facility for the real launch. The Atlas been prep outside it is a distraction if we have assets in China… so do they here. The Atlas will suffer a malfunction in about 2 hours before launch postponing the Atlas launch for 24 hours. While this is happening, Captain Adams and his team will fly in the X-16B over the 747 at an altitude of 15,000 feet, the X-16B will detach. Using the plasma propulsion system reach 100,000 feet then you will engage the above light speed engines and reach the objective. Do any of you have questions?"

"When are we taking off, sir?" Adams asked as Maxwell brings the lights on and he replies. "As soon as you have your suits on, also you will be carrying weapons… that is none negotiable." Doctor Lawson asks somewhat disturbed. "Sir, weapons in space… that is a violation of any space exploration agreement!"

"The small ship docked on the side of the big one changed the game plan. The Secretary of State has contacted the Chinese several times in the past 12 hours about this matter and they continue to deny their space project. With that said…You will take special 9mm pistols and none lethal weapons. We are not going to use them for offense but for protection."

General Roberts turns to the Astronauts and says. "Some sources in China have said in closed doors meetings that they will increase their naval posture in the China Sea close to the Philippines sometime in this month. The President ordered the 7th fleet into an alert. The George Washington carrier group is been prep for any problems around the Philippines. You are all walking on board that derelict ship with weapons."

Roberts then looks at Larson with a facial stone expression of seriousness as if there is no more to talk about the weapons. She wants to continue with her point but she leans back in her seat. Maxwell goes on to say. "Ok, all of you follow the lieutenant outside. Take those manuals with you and study them as much as possible. Good luck."

The group stands and all walk outside. The lieutenant that escorted the Astronauts to the briefing room is waiting and they follow him.

They take an elevator to the lower parking area where a large white van it is waiting. They climb into the van from the back and the lieutenant closes the doors. Adams, Hallock, Tyson, and Duale read the book they brought from the briefing.

Captain Adams sees that Lawson is not reading and asks. "Doctor, aren't you reading?"

"I wrote it… it is about the first encounter with an alien civilization. Either them or abandon technology. Read chapters 12 and 13, that deals with abandon Tech of theirs."

"What about the rest?" Duale asked. The Doctor smiles and replies. "Ah, the rest it is just science fiction. I had to cover a briefing with one hour of that, my little nephew helped me." They all lower the books and look at her, Tyson asks. "What about chapters 12 & 13?"

Lawson smiles a shrugs her shoulders and replies. "I was asleep when he wrote those chapters, so… just do not touch anything that I would not touch. The small ship from Alaska and the big one must have the same basic controls."

"Doctor… you are comparing the controls of an F-18 to those in the bridge of an Aircraft Carrier! Aren't you taking a big leap of fate here?" Adams said worried about the revelation and the Doctor replies.

"The F-18 and the Aircraft Carrier computers system are run by the same computer language. So must the big derelict ship and the one we have. It is all the same as the small ship from Alaska but with bigger engines. Guidance system, propulsion, and control must be the same. I have all my equipment in the X-16B."

The four put down the books the next to them and all stay silent.

.

.

The X-16B.

Runway 261, close to the coast at Vandenberg AFB.

.

The X-16B is of a hybrid design, resembling an R-Q4 Global Hawk and the legendary X-15 rocket plane. The ship it's mounted on top of the 747, which have been refitted to carry the X-16B. The gigantic 747 transporter is at the end of the runway ready for takeoff. The crew of the X-16B is checking and double-checking all the systems. The 747 is given the clear for takeoff, the engines increase power and the vibration it is felt by the crew of the X-16B. After thirty minutes of flight, they reach 13,900 feet and the crew gets ready for the detachment.

"The reactor is at a nominal output," Tyson said then Duale replies. "All systems and subsystems ready. Computers configured for flight." Adams goes on to say. "Coil valves open… 300psi in safety valve. Doctor, do you confirm?"

"300 and steady, Captain."

The only things not activated yet are the spinning coils. When the X-16B detaches from the 747 the coils will commence turning by a discharge of pressurized liquid hydrogen that serves as an actuator fluid and as a coolant. "14,000 feet." Hallock said and the climb continues. Adams calls in to report the progress. "L.C.C. this is Sky Eagle… all systems are a go for detachment, the Safety valve at 300psi."

"Copy Sky Eagle all systems in the green."

The captain of the 747 calls in. "Sky Eagle, this is transporter one… 14,500 feet. Safeties are off. My finger is on the trigger, over."

"Copy that Transporter one." All review the instruments as the time approaches. Hallock and Adams look at the altimeter waiting for transporter one to detach. Tyson engages the plasma engines at a minimum so Adams and Hallock can maneuver up and away from the 747.

Once clear, they will activate the plasma system at maximum. All are nervously silent. "Sky-Eagle this is transporter one, detachment in… 3…2...1… now!"

A metallic thump it's heard as the two pilots lift the nose of the X16B and the 747 dives. Tyson says. "Plasma at maximum output!" Adams moves the throttle forward and the g-forces increase. The Safety valve opens and the coils chambers are flooded with high-speed liquid hydrogen. "Spin at 50% and increasing!" Lawson said as Hallock's voice it is heard. "70,000 feet… G-forces at 3G's."

The bladders around their legs expand so to send more blood to their brains. "90,000 feet!" Duale passes out, the Doctor all she can do is look at her then Lawson turns to her screen. "Spin… at 97%!"

"Guidance coordinate computer active… auto-flight control is active… hold on!" Adams said and the 100,000 feet mark it's reached. The cabin elongates and it contracts like a rubber band. The propulsion disengages automatically and the heavy pressure of the G-forces on their bodies it is gone.

.

.

The new, old things to confront.

X-16B is at 200 nautical miles from the Derelict ship.

.

"Hallock, search for the X-37D beacon."

"Yes, sir." Adams activates the forward view and sees the disc of the sun taking the whole screen. He pivots the ship into position for the heat shields to face the Sun. The instruments are working perfectly then Adams goes to say. "How is everyone back there?"

"Duale passed out, sir." Tyson said. "Chief, Doctor, check her. Hallock, where is the X-37D?"

"It is at starboard… 200 Nm from us." Adams changes the camera view and the derelict it's seen as a small dark spot. "Hallock, pivot the ship toward the signal. Keep the heat shields down range."

"Yes, sir." The pilots maneuver the ship toward the signal. Duale voice it is heard. "I am ok, thank you." Adams looks back as much as he can to see Lawson checking Duale. "Lt, how are you holding?"

"Good sir."

"Ok, all back to their seats. We are getting close to the derelict, I want all in the game."

The derelict ship commences showing other features never seen before in the pictures taken by the X-37D. Adams goes under the belly of the behemoth to cover the X-16B from the Sun. Doctor Lawson goes to say in a relieved tone. "The electromagnetic shield was almost in the red." All turn to her with their eyes wide open and Adams says in a stern voice. "That is vital to know Doctor. That is an abort mission check."

"We never pass into the red. No radiation on board detected, Captain… we are good." Tyson goes to say. "My wife wants another child, Doctor."

"You will, Chief." Lawson said but her jovial tone is not well received by the rest. Adams changes the view in the screen again. He and Hallock look as they check the instruments. Hallock says. "This ship is covered with impacts but… that green paint filled the impressions."

"That is no paint; it looks like a thick film of something. It is all over the ship. Look, it has cannons." The two pilots, line up under the derelict's lading bay where the rover is in. They have to be quick as not to expose the upper part of the X-16B to the Sun. Adams looks at Hallock and say. "Turn the ship 180, then we are backing up with the shields facing the Sun. Go up and enter the landing bay, once inside roll the ship and land."

"Ok, sir." The X-16B it is pivoted by the pilots and they move it back. Once cleared from under the large ship they go up lining the ship with the large entrance.

"Ok, just a millisecond tap forward." Adams said and the ship slowly enters. "Roll the ship." Adams ordered and both pilots roll the ship until it is at the correct angle. Hallock looks at his instruments and says. "The Rover is ahead, marking the parking spot."

"I see it… get as close as possible."

The two maneuver the ship close to the rover marking the landing area with its lasers and lights. Once above the landing area, Adams says. "Turn the ship 180, facing the exit… just in case we have to leave in a hurry." Slowly the ship turns toward the opening. "Lower the landing gear." Hallock activates the landing gear and all the extended gear lights turn green. Adams lowers the ship and the gentle jolt of contact it's felt. The landing gears system indicates all pads on the ground.

"Ok, let secure the ship… Hallock, do a post-fight check. Call Huston and tell them that the Eagle has landed, Ok" Hallock smiles and says. "That sounds familiar… um?" As Adams is getting off the safety harness, he smiles back and replies "Get to it, Lt."

"Yes, sir." Adams is free from his seat and floats to the back. He turns to the Chief. "I want a reactor…" All the lights go out on the ship. The astronauts stay still and then they feel a jolt. "What the Hell, happen!?" Adams yelled. "Chief the batteries…" A second jolt it is felt and then a small amount of gravity weight it is pressed down on all. Adams falls to the deck. Lawson asks. "What is going on!?" Adams stands up and asks. "Hallock, did you sent the message?"

"Yes, sir."

"Chief, the batteries… I want power!"

Suddenly the sensation of elongation during the above speed jump once again it is felt and then stops. By this time, Adams is on the floor holding to the Chief's seat. "Did we… did we just traveled passed the speed of light!?" Duale asked. Adams searches for an emergency equipment box. He pulls a handheld flood light. The first person he puts the light on is on the Chief. "The batteries are they working!?"

"I have to go to the back, sir."

"Do it!" Tyson gets out from his seat and floats to the equipment box, takes a flood light and moves through the service tunnel. An overwhelming desperation takes over and then the lights, as well as all the systems, come back online. All look about and Adams yells down the service tunnel. "Good job Chief!"

"I didn't do shit, sir. All came back by itself!"

"Dammed… Doctor, could it be Sun doing a job on the systems?"

"I am looking at my readings and radiation levels are underneath of what it should be concerning solar radiation inside the derelict." Hallock calls Adams with a stressed tone. "Sir, come and look at this on the screen!"

The Captain moves forward as Hallock points to the screen. Outside, through the nacelle entrance, the two pilots can see Earth's Moon and in the distance the Earth itself. "What the hell…? Lt, call Huston and confirm telemetry with them also ask for instructions. I will go to the back and check the engines with the Chief."

"Yes, sir."

"What about us two, Captain?"

"Doctor, you and Duale check and double check all you can. I want to leave a.s.a.p."

"We just got here, Captain."

"Doctor as quick as we came we will leave… check the systems."

"Hallock any luck with L.C.C or Huston?"

"No sir, I hear only static. The X-37 D would relay our transmission."

"It never came with us then. I hope someone saw what happen."

The Chief comes from the rear of the ship and says. "Captain we are in battery power, the reactor is cold. It will take time to have it up and running. However… without an external source, we need the batteries to do that. We will have to shut down all systems."

"How long it will take?" The Chief answers unnerved. "More than the suits can sustain us." All are silent. The crew looks at the Captain. Adams looks around and says. "Duale prep the suits. This is going to get cold soon."

"Yes, sir."

"Captain, come and look at this!" Hallock said and Adams moves forward. "What?"

"The flight line's lights just came on. There is power in the derelict." The Chief looks and says. "If we could find a power source, hook it up to the ship we can get the reactor online before the suits fail, sir."

"Ok Chief… you and I will do an E.V.A. look about and get the juice for the ship or some kind of life support. Meanwhile, all get in your E.V.A suits. Shot down all systems and direct the batteries power to the reactor." Lawson asks. "Captain what about the A.P.U.?"

"The A.P.U starts up by battery power. The fuel to keep the A.P.U. running to warm the reactor, will take fuel for our re-entry maneuvers… the A.P.U is out of the question."

"We need to find something outside, sir." The Chief said with an urgent tone as Duale comes in through the service tunnel. "Sir the suits are ready in the airlock chamber." Adams turns to the Chief. "Let's gear up Chief. Hallock shot down all as soon as you three suit up."

"Yes, Captain." Several minutes later, the crew is by the airlock. Duale and Hallock help the Chief and Adams with their suits for the E.V.A as Lawson sets the suits for her, Duale and Hallock.

The airlock system it is a duplicate to the shuttle's airlock, with the exception that it leads down through the bottom to a ladder system identical to the B-2 bomber extending from the starboard rear landing gear well. The hatch it is closed and the pressure removed.

The indicator turns red. Adams opens the lower hatch and the ladder comes into view. Tyson waits for Adams to descend the ladder. Captain Adams is the first on the deck of the gigantic vessel. The Chief comes down as he closes the hatch. "Let's check the rover, sir." They both walk to the rover and Adams asks. "What can we take from it?"

"Nothing sir… you know sir if we could land the X-37 next to ours we could use its reactor to jump start ours quicker."

"Hallock, did you copy the Chief?"

"Yes I heard him but I can't get through on any band, it is all static. Even if the X-37 was out there I can't get through." Lawson goes to say. "Captain, what makes you think the X-37 came with us?"

"I really think it did not but we have to look at all the angles." The two astronauts walk to the edge of the opening where the rover peeked and filmed the toolboxes. "There is light down there, sir."

"It is impossible to go down there, with this low gravity we would not be able to come up." The Chief turns around looking in the bay next to the X-16B and he taps the Captain on his shoulder. "Look sir that looks like a power cable by the side of that door."

"Where?"

"Follow me, sir." The Captain follows Tyson and both reach the cable. The Chief examines the connector and says. "I am surprised, this connector will fit in our receptacle, and it is long enough. Wow, it is like…" Tyson is pensive as trying to find the right words and Adams says. "Déjà vu, Chief?"

"Yes, something like that… this aliens match must of our technology and even the trivial things like a power connector."

"Do you think it has power?"

"Ah… Oh, I do not think so. Wait." The Chief looks around where the cable comes out from the wall and finds a switch. He moves it up and down and the indicator light does not come on. "I do not know, sir. The indicator light might be out… it might have juice."

"Let's hook it up and we will find out."

"Yes, sir." The two men un-roll the cable and move it to the rear of the ship. "Sir I need a lift to reach the service ports."

"Ok." Adams joins his hands and the Chief reaches the umbilical service port section of the X-16B. He hesitates and says. "Sir, what if this would make things worse?" Adams gets on the radio. "Hallock, we are connecting power to the…?" The Chief continues. "Electrical port 6A standby next to the circuit breakers, if something goes wrong disconnect the flow, you copy that LT?"

"Yes, Chief… I am ready." Hallock replied. The Chief looks at the alien connector and then flips the cap up of the ship's receptor port. "Done sir."

"Hallock, do you have any power or any problems?"

"No power, sir."

"Ok, wait." The Captain and the Chief walk to the cable's switch panel and the Chief gets a hold and says. "Hallock be ready."

"Ready." The Chief moves the switch up and Adams calls in. "Hallock, what is happening?"

"No power."

"Darn, we might have to go in. Chief, how do you know that the switch down it is off?"

"I have no idea, but the cable was stowed properly and they must have turned off."

"Oh… yes, but how do you it was stowed properly?"

"I don't know but so far all the aliens have familiar technologies. For what I have seen here so far and working on the ship that we have of theirs on Earth."

"So what do we do now, Chief?"

"We have to get in and find the circuit breaker box for this cable. Obviously, this ship has power"

"Well, there is the door… Hallock, we are going in to find the main power for the cable."

"Copy that sir." Tyson says. "Sir, look at this hatch."

The Captain moves to Tyson and the hatch. "What is it?"

"Look, sir, the writing is in English."

"Airlock… um? Then this confirms that the ship found in Alaska it is from this one."

"This ship is from the future. I am sure now, sir."

"I was formulating that opinion but now I am sure. Though Doctor Lawson somehow thinks it is from another place in the past."

"Oh, come on, this from the past. The words should be in Sumerian."

"Well chief, let's step into the world of tomorrow, and find that switch."

The Chief tries to turn the hatch's lock wheel but it will not move. The Captain looks to one side and says. "Hold on, Chief. The Chamber has pressure, look in this pad. I guess it must be this button, decompress?"

"That is a good sign. Maybe the ship has an atmosphere."

Adams presses the button and the light turns red. Then Chief turns the wheel and the door opens. The two men flash their lights as they carefully enter.

The Chief closes and locks the door then Adams pressurizes the chamber. They feel a strong breeze pushing against their suits. Then the green light in the pad lights up. Adams opens the inner door and both shine their lights about into a room before walking in.

"I guess this is where the crew would change to E.V.A suits."

Both step into the room and the Chief commences losing balance. The Captain turns around with difficulty looks down and then to the Chief. "The suits are heavier now… uff, dammed."

The two move the best they can to the wall and put the burden of the heavy suits against it. The Chief slides down to the deck. "Get up Chief!"

"I can't… this suit is for E.V.A. not for gravity use. What these people used for suits!?"

"Help, for sure."

"Or lighter materials… Sir, to find the power control for that cable we have to take this stuff off."

"What did this people breath? Even if they were humans what germs might be about that we do not know of?"

"I don't know sir, but the others depend on us now. Help me with the helmet." Adams hesitates but he knows the Chief is right. They have to try it.

Adams reaches for the Chief's helmet and between them they remove it. The Chief takes a big breath and exhales. Tyson smiles and says. "The Air is good… there is a… smell of something, like old."

With the help of each other, they slowly take the bulky suits off. Adams calls Hallock and explains the situation. Lawson gets in the conversation asking. "Can we go in?"

"No, Doctor. The Chief and I we are taking a big risk with germs in here. Once we find power for the ship, we will be back and stay in the suits for the duration of the return trip. We are leaving the suits here and the radio in them… so. We will call when we are coming back to the ship. A good sign will be the power increase, a few minutes later we will call."

"Ok, sir. You and the Chief, be careful in there. There might not be enough oxygen in there."

"We will and stay by the breakers, Adams out." Tyson and Adams look about and the Captain points to the wall that the power cable is connected to at the other side. "That is where the cable is at… that pipe must be the power source going next door." The two men walk to the door the best they can in the darkness.

Adams turns the wheel and pulls the door. Suddenly the hallway lights flicker when they come on at full intensity also in the E.V.A. change room. They are startled and both glanced into the hallway and slowly come out. The Chief says. "Motion detectors?"

"Why not… I hope."

"What about that picture of someone on that other ship, sir?"

"Yes, that also came to mind. Let's go this way." They walk left into the hallway. They open every door following the pipe. They open one room where the pipe it is not seen from the door and both enter walking toward the rear. "This looks like sleeping quarters for the crew, sir."

"Yes, and lockers… let's leave this to Lawson, we have to find the pipe." Adams goes to the rear but the Chief opens one of the lockers. "Chief I found the pipe, it keeps going this way."

"Sir, come and look at this." Adams walks to the surprised Chief and asks. "What?"

"Look, sir, they were human." Adams swing open the locker door and sees a picture of people all smiling wearing what it looks to be flight deck handlers uniforms from an aircraft carrier.

Each one with their arms on each other huddled together for the picture. At one side of the picture the words… The third shift crew, making life easier for the first shift. "Wow, any date on the back sir?"

Adams pulls the picture and looks. "No, no date. I am now sure this ship is from the future. Look at those crafts in the background."

Tyson looks closely and says. "Yea… um, why all this déjà vu sensation it is like… all is new to me but familiar. That picture, those faces... those look like fighters. I may be losing it, sir."

Adams looks at Tyson's face, the Chief is somewhat unnerved and Adams wants to calm him down the Captain goes to say. "Let's get out and find where the cable goes and I think I know what is going on with the familiarity of this ship to us."

"You as well sir?" Adams answers casually. "Yes, of course." However, the Captain is unnerved as well. Both walk out of the room and as they search, Adams to calm down the Chief explains the déjà vu sensation, although the Captain does not believe his own explanation.

"You see Chief; the concept of déjà vu exists because sometimes people go to a place that has never been but yet the place looks familiar. Correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"So because the idea of déjà vu exists is because it happens, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Ok… Maybe not you but a direct ancestor, way in the past or as close as a grandparent walked in a room, did something and left. That memory is passed down somehow to you, as a genetically preserved memory of sorts. You walk into that room let's say… 200 years later and you have a déjà vu. Doctor Lawson thinks that this ship carried our ancestors to Earth from some when else and in one way or another we after many generations we had to mimic some of their culture and technology by genetically remembering their society… as a species."

"Why then this people use English and not Chinese or Babylonian, sir?"

"Maybe, these humans were as mixed culturally as we are on Earth today. We will find literature in those languages around."

"Then why there is no record of the modern English from the time these people arrived?"

"Not found yet or even when it is found, it is dismissed as modern English."

"Wait so… they arrived speaking English, somehow the language vanishes from history and re-emerges in Europe."

"Something, like that, possibly."

"Sir… The construction of modern English is a mixture of older Nordic and European languages they all combined after many centuries forming the English used in the times of Shakespeare. Still continues to evolve in subsequent centuries into our modern English, which is the English written all over on this ship?"

"You are right and I have no explanation."

"Then someone made our modern civilization speak again the languages the owners of this ship spoke."

"Who then?"

"God"

"Well, in that context all is possible. Wow, there is an intersection ahead. There are two more rooms left."

"Two more hours and the batteries will be drained, sir."

"If the cable does not work, we all can come in here and wait for rescue. I'll check the last door you this one."

"Yes, sir."

Adams walks to the last door before the intersection and enters finding the latrines. He walks slowly to the end of the room and sees the pipe they have been following. He turns and stops to see the hand wash stations. His blood freezes and a paralyzing sense of fear overtake the young Captain's body.

Behind his reflection, in the mirror, he sees a blonde young woman with a long sleeve shirt resembling an old army green uniform and barely sticking out a light gray undershirt. Green olive grabs military pants and a round patch on her right shoulder. Adams quickly turns around and she is not there.

He slowly moves about with his heart beating as if it was going to come out from his chest. He notices that the woman could not have left the room from where she was standing without him seen her running to the door. He carefully looks and there are no other exists or places to hide.

Captain Adams walks toward the door with his back to it, pivots about slowly, making it out into the hallway. "Sir are you ok, did you found the power box or a ghost?" He is startled by Chief Tyson but quickly gets a hold of his nerves and replies. "Ah… neither. Come with me and help me look."

The two walk into the latrines. "Ok, sir. Are you alright? You are as white as a ghost." Adams follows Tyson up close and then Adams answers "Yes, yes… I am tired that is all. I just thought I saw a woman in here." The Chief stops and the Naval Officer ask with surprise. "Where?"

"Right there, I was looking at that mirror and saw her reflection, I turn, and she was gone."

Tyson does the same Adams did to quickly search then Tyson says. "I see no exits or vents big or low enough to the deck that anyone could use." Both men look about and the Chief says as he points. "The pipe is here, it goes beyond this bulkhead."

"Ok."

Both men walk out to the hallway and by guessing the direction of the pipe inside the latrine area; they turn left at the intersection. "Sir, jackpot." Tyson said and both walk to the power box. The Chief examines it and opens the door. He looks in and smiles. "I can regulate the voltage and all that good stuff that we need, sir."

"Do it. I want to go home." As the Chief reads the instructions on the door of the power box, he says. "Sir… you know that one of the symptoms of oxygen deprivation is hallucinations and this hull is very old."

"Then hurry." Tyson operates the knobs and last is the main breaker switch. The indicator light turns green and power now flows to the X-16B outside. "Chief, let's get the suits on and get out before we pass out if there is little oxygen."

"Yes, sir."

The return path it is a straight shot, both notice now that ship has suffered heavy damages. Broken bulkheads as well as other damage equipment and also scorch marks of fires. Tyson says. "There must be micro-fractures all over." They arrive at the E.V.A. room and they walk to the suits. Adams kneel down and using the helmet calls. "Hallock, you have power now?"

"Yes sir, but Doctor Lawson got out."

"WHAT!" The Chief taps on Adams' shoulder and points to the side. "Sir, that E.V.A. suit it is ours."

"Yes, that is Lawson's suit… Hallock, what did she took?"

"Her equipment, she left a note. She is headed to the bridge and she is going to mark her path."

"How!?"

"She did not say."

"The Chief and I will get her and we think there is not enough oxygen here. Have you reached home?"

"No sir, I am still getting static."

"Life support is not an issue on board the X-16 now. Wait… three hours if you do not hear from us go. We will be still here lost in this behemoth."

"Yes, sir… three hours. Hallock turns to Duale and says in a whisper. "Maybe more."

"What, I did not copy the last?"

"Do not worry sir. What about the Oxygen in there?"

"Don't know yet. Wait three hours… over and out." Adams stands up. "Follow me Chief." The two walk outside the room and Adams looks about. "Sir, what are you looking for?"

"Lawson left a note, she is going to find or try to find the bridge of this ship, and she was going to leave markers behind." Adams and Tyson look in the opposite direction they walked from. They see a paper at the end of the hallway and walk toward it.

They find that is another intersection and the paper it is hanging by a large piece of tape. There is an arrow pointing toward the main central body of the ship. "She is going to get lost." The Chief said and Adams walks in the direction indicated. Both Men are silent, this time anger as taken over them. They follow the papers and they arrive at a central corridor. "Which way sir?"

"There is another paper." That is the only thing the young Captain said. His anger is evident as well as the Chief. The corridor zigzags until they find a sign … Bridge. The two follow the sign and climb up a long flight of stair. They arrive in a large room made of several levels.

They walk carefully looking about. They stand in the middle of the circular room; they look down seen three levels in a semicircle giving the impression of Huston Mission Control facing a close rectangular window. Next, to them, there is a large terminal with several screens on a promenade overlooking the lower three levels.

"Lawson!" Adams yelled. "Over here, Captain!"

They heard her at the other side of the room on the same level they are on. They walk into a rear section passing a large glass map. To the side of the map, they see more control panels on the bulkhead. She has her two laptops connected to two different sections. "Doctor… what the Hell you think you are doing! There is almost no oxygen in this tub."

"Downloading all I can, Captain."

"I don't give a rat ass what are you doing, we are leaving!"

"But I do, Captain." A female voice said from behind them. They slowly turn to see an oriental woman with a gun in her hand. Adams turns and asks. "Who are you?"

"Captain Lou-He Wo, from the People's Air Force… you are all on Chinese territory."

"So you say. We got here first."

"Who do you think brought this ship here Mr.…?" "Captain Leonard Adams United States Air Force."

"I need the information she is downloading that is the property of the People's Republic of China, Captain Adams."

"No."

"I have the gun… um? You are trespassing on Chinese property." Lawson says. "This ship is of no one country."

"Oh, yes… humanity and the United States it sole administrator, right." Tyson goes to ask. "How you got here if there was no indication your people sent you before we arrived?"

"That is irrelevant because as you can see, I am here… the laptops please."

"Give her the laptops, Doc."

"No Captain I will not! She or no one made this ship arrive here around the Moon. The log states an automatic command from the main computer did that."

"I did it from here, on the bridge." Lawson gets angry and walks closer to the Chinese officer. Adams holds her and the Doctor says. "Liar… this bridge was never used. All the controls were routed to the combat bridge several floors down. You just got here. Where is the rest of your people!?"

"About in the ship. Where is that other bridge?"

"You don't know where the secondary bridge is, so you just got here. I am sure N.O.R.A.D and any other country on Earth detected your launch after ours." Adams said, all of a sudden the doors on the bridge close and red lights flash.

They hear the hissing sound of atmosphere venting. Captain Wo runs to the door and uses the pad. She puts her gun in the holster and yells. "Help me to open the door!"

All run and try to open it. The Chief looks about for something to pry the door open. One by one stumble to the deck. Adams looks up almost unconscious when he sees the woman he saw in the mirror.

"Get her gun… get her gun Lee, she is alone."

Adams drags himself toward the Chinese Captain and pulls the gun out from her holster. The door opens and he feels two hands dragging him out into the hallway. He sees the strange woman turning him over. "Wake up, wake up Lee!"

Adams slowly stands with the gun in hand and walks staggering into the bridge. He wakes up Lawson and then Tyson.

Captain Wo turns slowly around still on the floor. Adams points the gun at her. "Stay down." The Chief helps Lawson to stand up and the Chief asks. "What happen?"

"The hell I know, Chief." Lawson answered as she rubs her head. "Did you saw her!?" Adams asks. Tyson replies. "I saw her falling and you took her gun."

"No, no… the blonde woman, she pulled me out of the room. The one that I saw downstairs, she was here." The Chief passes his hand over his face as he is still recuperating and says. "Sorry sir, I did not see her." Lawson answers. "Captain, oxygen deprivation can make you see things."

"So, you have my gun. Give it back before my men find you."

"You are alone, I do not know what happened to your crew, but you are alone. Stand up; we are taking you with us." Wo stands slowly and looks straight at Adams with aversion. She turns and walks to the door followed by the others. "You saw the blonde before?" Lawson asked.

"I am sure there must be air leaks all over this old ship and I saw what my oxygen deprived brain wanted to see, as you said Doc. Go get your laptops we are…"

Wo runs out the door turning in the hallway but before Adams and Tyson could reach the door. Wo falls back as if she has been punched. The two men run and look at the Chinese Captain on the floor.

"That hurt… her." The two men turn to see a woman robbing her right hand. Adams raises the gun toward her and the Captain asks. "Chief… do you see her?"

"Yes, sir I do."

"Of course you see me. I see you and I gave her a knuckle sandwich, so… I must be real don't you think."

"Who are you?" Adams asked and the young woman looks at him in disbelieve and replies in an annoyed tone. "It is me, Starbuck… Kara. Come on, Lee. Chief Tyrol… What the frack. Lee put the gun down."

Lawson walks into the hallway and Starbuck smiles and says with elated joy. "Laura! Madam President!" Starbuck motions forward as to hug Lawson but Adams stops her raising the gun. "Stop, whoever you are."

"Kara Thrace, what fraking question is that? Chief, you remember me?"

"No… I don't." Lawson walks closer and asks. "Where do you come from?"

"I was on the blue planet talking to him and then I am here. I saw her running toward me and punched her. So… what is going on, where is the Admiral... you guys came from the blue planet?"

"What Admiral and what blue planet?"

"Your father."

"Lady, my father was never an admiral. Are you part of the crew of this ship?"

"Yeah, and so all of you."

"No… we just got here from Earth, I have no idea who you are at all."

"Let's do this. Lower the gun, let's all go down to the C.I.C and find out what the frack it is going on. Because the last time I was on Earth, it was a nuke-scorched planet. Pick her up and follow me."

"No, you go where we say you go, lady… so move. Chief pick, whatever her name is."

"Where are we going?" Kara asked Adams. "Back to our ship. We will have to board it three at the time." Adams answered pointing the gun at Kara. She raises her arms and says. "You outrank me. Show the way."

The Chief grabs Captain Wo, she commences to wake up and puts her back on the bulkhead. She sees Kara and rapidly stands away from the wall. Kara takes a defensive posture but Adams gets in the way with the gun. "Captain Wo… that is your name yes? Move that way and tell us what happened with your mission."

"Give me the gun or my men will not be as compassionate…" Adams interrupts her. "You are alone so, talk or I will have the blonde here knock the truth out of you." Wo looks at Kara with anger but turns and walks ahead. The group follows the papers that Lawson left. Thrace turns and asks. "Are we going to the port landing bay?"

"Yes." Tyson replies. "Oh, ok because I know a faster way."

"No, that is ok we will follow the papers." Adams said and Thrace pivots walking backward and asks. "You guys don't remember anything?"

"Remember what?" Lawson asked. "The Colonies, The Cylon war… the Galactica?"

"Not that we forgot, we do not know. Who are you really?" She Pivots around walking forward and replies. "Captain Kara Thrace, Colonial Fleet. You guys do not know how to get to the port landing bay from here?" Adams asks. "Ok, you are implying you are from this ship. Tell me, where is the crew at?"

"On the blue planet, the Admiral took all down there."

"What blue planet, Earth?"

"Uff! Not Earth, for all the Gods… the blue one, forget it."

"You called me, Madam President why?"

"Because you are and the last I saw you, you were dying."

"Of what?"

"Cancer." Lawson's eyes open wide and slowdowns then the Chief asks. "Lawson was President of what?"

"Of the Twelve Colonies of Humanity. The Cylons attacked us by surprise, the Colonies lost and Admiral Adama as the President gathers all the ships they could find or find us and we headed for Earth."

Adams asks. "So you arrive at Earth, that easy." Kara turns and looks at Adams in disbelieve. She stops and walks up to him regardless if he has a gun or not and she says. "Billions died in the first days of the war. The Cylons set the Colonial fleet aside, and then they followed us hunting all humans like animals… many good friends died, here on this ship. I really don't know who you all are but you are not a shadow of my family of this ship. You want to go to the launch bay follow me… or shoot me."

Adams steps back and says. "Ok show us."

"Lee would not have step back an inch and he would not have a gun either. You look like them but you aren't them."

"Testy." Wo said as Kara passes next to her. Kara turns to punch her but Wo is ready this time. She blocks her punch and Adams pushes Wo. Kara takes a hold of the gun and takes it from Adams. She points the gun at the group and says. "You want to leave, this way."

Kara stays behind the group giving directions and they arrive at the E.V.A. room, quicker than expected by the astronauts. Kara looks at the American made E.V.A suits and says. "You came in those, wow. I have seen suits that bulky in a museum on Caprica."

"What do you use?" Tyson asked. Thrace walks to one of the lockers and opens it. She detaches the charging cord of the suits and says. "This one's over here. Each takes one, they are charged and are easier to put on." They pull the lighter suits from the lockers and each one commences to put them on. Thrace gives instruction on how to attach the different sections correctly of the suits. Adams walks to his E.V.A. suit on the floor and Kara asks. "What are you doing?"

"Calling in, we have people on our ship."

"Ok, like that is going to make a difference to me."

"Why you want to come with us, why leave your ship?" Tyson asked. "There are no ships on board all are planetside. I want to go down as much as you do."

"Hallock this is Adams, we found two persons on board. One Chinese officer, Captain Wo and a crazy blond that claims to be part of the original crew of this ship."

"You what, sir!?" Thrace leans toward the helmet and says. "Hilo is that you!?"

"Sir, what is going on in there!?"

"That was the crazy one; we are coming out in some brown E.V.A. suits. The blond has a phaser, do you copy that."

"A phaser? Yes sir, I copy."

"Is the reactor up and running?"

"Yes, sir."

"Ok, the Chief and I will pull the cord and then we are going in."

"Roger, out."

"What is a phaser?" Kara asked and Wo smiles but Kara does not see her grin. Adams answers. "Oh, your… the suit must have a phase environmental unit?"

"No, neither the one you are wearing."

"Do not worry then. What now?"

"All in the airlock."

One by one, they enter the chamber. Lawson holds the special bags with her laptops in them. Kara handles the controls of the chamber and the atmosphere it's vented. "Open the door Chief." Kara said and Tyson turns the wheel opening the door. One by one step out and Kara says. "You came in that, sleek design but can it fly?"

"Yes, it can. The Chief and I have to pull the cable."

"Ok, go on." As before the Chief helped by Adams pulls the cable and both walk toward the landing gear where the ladder is at. All gather and Adams says. "I am sure you want to be last."

"Why?"

"You have… where, where is the gun!?"

"I left it inside." Wo moves toward Kara but the Colonial officer presses a button on her incoming foe's suit and Wo's suit shots down. Wo stagers back, Tyson and Lawson get a hold of the Chinese officer. Lawson looks up and says in a desperate tone. "What did you do to her suit!?"

"Turned it off, let her pass out she will be trouble."

Wo holds her helmet as she kicks her legs laying on the deck. Thrace walks up to her and turns it on again and she turns to Adams. "Let's go in."

Adams goes up followed by Thrace and the Chief with the help of Lawson help Wo up the ladder. Once the chamber it is closed the pressure is raised. Lt. Duale opens the hatch as Hallock points with one of the special 9mm guns.

One by one, all walk out and take the helmets off. Thrace helps Lawson and as she does that, she looks at Hallock and Duale but stays quiet. Duale walks to Wo with two zip ties and locks her arms.

Thrace sees this and she turns around still silent. "Who are they, sir?" Hallock asked. "Captain Wo, from China. Blonde over here she has not made sense. She was a chatterbox until now."

"The names… Karl Agathon, Anastasia Dualla, Lee Adama, Galen Tyrol, Laura Roslin, Sharon Valerii or Athena Agathon are they anyone in here?"

"No, seat against the bulkhead and stay quiet. You to Captain Wo." Adams said and he turns to Hallock. "Did you reach anyone?"

"I even used the private line to Langley and nothing. What now?"

"We leave, land, and report. The Doctor got what she wanted." Tyson goes to say in a joyful tone as he looks at the reactor readings. "Sir, we are 100% with the reactor and engines."

"That sounds good, we are leaving now. Duale, secure the passengers better for the trip home, the rest prep the ship."

The crew stows and secures all the equipment. Hallock does a pre-flight as Adams gets the engines ready. Duale sets the computers for the return home. The Doctor says. "Captain, we have only one more tank of Hydrogen to spin the coils." Adams turns around and looks at the Doctor then asks. "Chief can we use the plasma engines?"

"Yes, but why, the coils is the fast way to go back."

"We were meant to use them from the Sun to Earth, the new calculations might be off by one number, and we show up in the Earth's crust." All look hesitant and Thrace says. "Don't use them… I think you are talking about the F.T.L drive?" Adams looks at Kara and thinks about it. Hallock turns to the Captain to say. "Sir, I agree with you and her. However, we will have to fly at one G may be two. That will take a couple of hours."

"Better slow and sure, let's leave."

"Yes, sir."

.

.

The restart of a cycle.

Approaching Earth.

.

"Huston, this is Sky Eagle… respond, Huston do you copy, over." Duale said over the radio, actually each has taken turns since they left the derelict in lunar orbit to call home but no one has responded back, not even the ISS. "Do we land with no instructions?"

"We can't stay here too long… Hallock lets land. Duale set the navigation to Vandenberg. They must be tracking us. Our high gain radio must be out."

"Try other frequencies, Captain." Lawson said and Adams smiles. Doctor an S.O.S from a secret plane." Hallock adds. "Doc, I was monitoring all the frequencies and nothing, our radio is not sending or receiving."

"We were talking from our suits before?"

"Doc that is a fixed channel actually three channels and they are just for short range, what we need is to send a big signal down there." Tyson says as he monitors the reactor. "I am sure they will send escorts up as we approach the west coast of Cali, do not worry Doctor."

"Ok, sir the window will be in two minutes over Africa, the computer is all set." Duale said and the two pilots follow the re-entry procedures, as the rest of the crew gets ready. Wo and Kara are on the floor. Duale accommodated the unexpected guests with all the padded materials and safety straps she could find.

The ship slightly dives and the re-entry starts. The two pilots follow the digital path in the H.U.D and in other screens. The ship's computer fires the forward engines to maintain the ship sub-sonic. The X-16B does not have to do the miles long turns as the shuttle did to decelerate.

They reach the altitude of 25,000 feet and continue to approach the coast of California. They search for commercial traffic but nothing is in the air. "15,000 feet sir… I do not see the lights from L.A."

"We should it is night. We are in final approach, they will send the escorts."

"5,000 feet, no lights below."

"The computer it is showing the runway in front and… What the… hell, Pull up! Pull up!"

All kinds of alarms go off simultaneously, the pilots lift the nose, and all are pushed into their seats. Adams levels the ship and banks to starboard toward the south. "DUALE! What is wrong with the computer!? We almost hit buildings!"

"Sir, with no G.P.S. signals the computer must be off."

"So we could be flying over Mexico for all we know!"

"No sir the Doppler signal is of the California coast. We are over Vandenberg, sir."

"Hallock, find a place to set this bird, I do not care if we land in LAX or on Hollywood Boulevard."

"Yes, sir. Ah… sir, don't you find strange that those buildings lights were out?"

"A blackout?"

"At least the red altitude warning lights should have been on. If not for the night vision… we would have been all over the place."

"We will do a VTOL landing, any place will do."

"What about there, sir." Adams slows the ship and turns around he is almost hovering. "I guess that will do. We will have some concealment around those dunes." The landing gear extends as the ship descends slowly. Sand and dust it's lifted, as the landing gear make contact. "Keep the reactor hot Chief."

"Yes sir, but the deuterium is at 45%."

"Just until we get help, Chief. We might have to move to a secure area. Hallock, activate the emergency finder signal. At least that is not part of the communications system."

"What now, captain?" Lawson asked. "Just sit tight and wait for search and rescue. Hey, Captain Wo, welcome to the United States. If you want, I will give you a quarter to call your embassy in Los Angeles. You might have to walk to the nearest gas station."

"Shoved your money up your ass, Captain." Adams walks to the emergency box and pulls a knife. Walks to Wo and leans her torso forward and cuts the zip ties. "You are free, you know the way out." She looks at the service tunnel and looks at Adams. "Aren't you afraid I will tell your secret?"

"Go ahead Captain; no one will believe you. At least not the public, I am sure your government will not disclose your fail mission you been rescued by Americans."

"What about me?"

"Oh yes, space girl." Adams does the same to Kara and she rubs her wrists. "Are you staying or leaving?" Adams asked. "I am staying, it is comfortable in here."

"Show me the way out." Wo asked in a demanding tone and Adams extend his hand showing her the way out. As Adams escorts out Captain Wo. Lawson looks at Kara and asks. "All the names you said before… you called me Laura on the big ship, why?"

"The name of the big ship is the Galactica and yes, I did call you Laura. Actually, all the names I mention are of my friends that happen to be identical twins to all of you." Tyson turns around and asks. "So… what is your story?" Adams walks in and says. "She is gone." Hallock asks in a sarcastic tone. "You gave her a quarter, sir?"

"I left my wallet at home. So yes tell us how you got on that big ship?"

Kara stands up and commences her story from the unset of the second Cylon war. She goes on to tell of Admiral Adama and his son Lee. The problems and attacks they suffered. President Roslin, Baltar.

The final five Cylons, she talked about her husband Samuel. Until she explains how she randomly entered, coordinates into the F.T.L. control and found a suitable planet for all the refuges.

All stay quiet and Tyson says in a sarcastic tone. "So, I was a Cylon?"

"Yes chief, now I am not sure. You all could be Cylons for all I know." Adams smiles and says. "Oh, my God… That show's name is Battle Star Galactica with Lorne Green. That is an old show from 1978." Kara's eyes open wide and she turns to Adams. "A show? How come you don't remember when I said the names?"

"I never saw it." Lawson said. Adams continues. "Adama is the only name I recognized from your story. The ones I know are Apollo, Starbuck and he was a guy. Baltar, he was with the Cylons from the start."

"He was! That fraking rat!" Lawson looks at his companions noticing that after Adams explanation all start to look at Kara as a crazy. The Doctor says. "I believe her, that derelict reminds me of the TV series." Adams looks at the Doctor and replies in a sarcastic tone. "You do Doctor? But you never saw the show." Tyson says. "Captain do you remember that picture we saw on board that ship, the fighter plane in the background that looks like one of the fighters from the show. That is why all is so familiar, it is the TV show making all familiar to us on that ship… not the gene memory theory you told me." Adams raises his arms and says "Ok… ok, let the people back at the base deal with this."

"None of you believe me!" Lawson gets closer to Kara and replies. "Though the Captain he is right. I somehow believe you. It is just that we know of your story from a different source."

Adams goes to say with a hint of anger by the Doctor giving justification to a crazy woman. "Doc, what is next, Buck Rodgers?" The Doctor looks at the Captain and turns to Kara dismissing his comment. "But you are describing events that happen many years ago and you still alive?" Lawson asked and Kara shakes her head and replies. "Not that long ago, I was on the planet and then… then, I was punching her. I am the one that needs an explanation from all of you. How come you look like my friends and what Earth are you referring to?"

"The only planet Earth there is and we are on it." Duale said and Adams looks at his watch. "It is morning already. Hallock is the emergency transponder on?"

"Yes sir, I flip the switch and the blinking light came on."

"Well, I guess I could make a collect call to General Roberts before Buck Rodgers knocks on the hatch asking for Colonel Deering." The Chief adds "Maybe for his robot Twiki. I liked that show better."

All smile except the Doctor, and Kara does not understand the sarcastic comments of Adams and the Chief. The Captain looks down and then he says. "I will have to find a gas station and call." Adams stays silent again as he looks at the crew. "Duale come with me. Hallock, stay ready to leave if you have to. I don't want a farmer shooting at the ship for landing on his property."

"Yes, sir."

As Adams and Hallock open the inner hatch, Adams looks into the service tunnel toward Kara and says in a whisper. "Hallock, watch the blond."

"Who do you think she is?"

"She is not part of the Chinese expedition or Wo and her would not have been so… friendly. I think she is Russian."

"Russian? But why she has to say that story from the TV show and not the truth?"

"Don't know but I do not trust her." Duale asks. "Sir, you said you saw her on the big ship before you encounter the Chinese astronaut?"

"That could have been the lack of oxygen that made me see her the way I saw her. She can't be part of the crew from the big ship. Hallock, keep an eye on her, lock the weapons locker and she is with someone at all times."

"Will do sir."

.

.

Reality Check.

Early Morning, somewhere on the west coast.

.

Adams and Duale come down from the ship. They look up and see no clouds. The two officers reach the top of the dune and look west. At first, they could not discern exactly what they are seen. "What happened to those buildings… they are in ruins, burned?" Duale said as Adams stares slowly the horizon of buildings. No life and no movement of any kind not even insects. The wind has pushed the desert sand into the closeby structures. The only vegetation is small brush and sick trees.

"Let's go to those buildings there has to be a road." Adams said. The two walk down the dune and after a few minutes they reach the first structure. The roof has collapsed and only part of the foundation it is seen from under the sand. The area has been abandoned a long time ago. The tops of rusted automobiles are sticking out from the sand. They walk carefully until they reach the closest structure standing. They look in and Duale says. "This is a gas station… or was at one time."

"In California, you can find abandon towns like this."

"A town, I will buy that sir. But what about that city it did not resemble the skyline of Los Angeles At all." They hear a noise outback by the abandoned structure and both walk to the back entrance. They see someone hiding in the brush close to the building. "Hey, do you know where the highway is?"

The person raises from the brush and is Captain Wo holding her bleeding shoulder. She runs to Adams and Duale, she almost falls when reaching them. "Hide… hurry, they are coming."

"Who? What happen to you?" She not even answers and runs into the building. Seen this Duale and Adams follow her in. "What…?" "Sshh… Silence."

Wo takes a big breath and calms down the best that she can. Duale looks at her wound. The Chinese Captain's breathing is less agitated and she explains. "There was a group of people out there; last night… they have several bonfires and these statues surrounding them… I thought they were American youths celebrating something. I approached them and… the statues, they moved… and shot at me."

"The people shot at you?"

"No, no… Captain the statues moved… they all moved toward me and open fire."

"The statues? They moved and took a shot at you?"

"Yes and…" The noise of an approaching vehicle is heard outside. Wo's eyes open wide and lowers her body. Adams and Duale do the same but Adams thinks Wo encountered some criminals doing business in the California desert and are chasing her.

The three look out the best they can. They see what it looks like a slanted half-track military vehicle. The turret of the vehicle moves around, then stops pointing its guns to the building, and opens fire. The three stand and with their upper bodies bent run through the hail of automatic fire.

They reach the back street and five statuesque metallic figures are walking up the street in a staggered formation. The strange figures point their weapons and open fire.

The trio runs across the street into another building. They continue running through the structure reaching the back exit, an explosion levels the edifice they just came out. They enter another building and hide. The Halftrack is turning the corner toward the three astronauts when a rocket trail is seen impacting the antagonistic vehicle. Gunfire erupts from different sections of the street. The metallic figures are hit by heavy automatic fire.

Then the firefight stops. Silence has before. Just the wind blows and the smoke rises taking over the street. Adams stands slowly and looks out.

This time he sees human figures moving in the smoke. He turns and says. "Let's leave to…" The noise of a weapon loading a round in the chamber interrupts him. He erects his body raising his hands. A woman wearing a raggedy military uniform is pointing a weapon at them and she asks. "Are you Alliance?"

"Ah… we are together, thank you for the…" "I asked! Are you from the Eastern Alliance!?" One man enters the room and points his weapon at Adams. "Korrely, who are they?"

"I don't know." Adams goes on to say. "Those things were chasing us. I want to thank you for the rescue. But what is going on?"

The Man lowers his weapon, gets closer to Adams and examines his suit's patches. "Those markings on your uniforms, they are not Eastern Alliance or Western Nationalists. You arrived from Paradeen?"

"What is Paradeen?" Korrely turns to Tol as she continues to point her weapon and says. "Tol, let's take them to HQ, I can't believe that any of the scientist or their families would come back to this hades from Paradeen."

Tol raises his weapon again and says. "Ok, you two stand up and walk out." They all walkout out the dilapidated structure the smoke has dissipated and as Adams walks out he comes upon one of the metallic men standing next to the building. The three astronauts back away from it but Tol Goes to say. "Keep moving." Adams, Duale, and Wo continue to walk without losing sight of the mechanical man. Wo goes to say unnerved. "Those things… they try to kill us!"

"Those are ours, can't you see the difference?" Korrely said. Adams sees about 20 men and women spread about among seven of the machines in the street. Some of the humans are scavenging parts from the down aggressor's equipment. Out of the vehicle, dead humans are pulled out wearing different uniforms from those of Tol, Korrely or their people are wearing. The bodies of the defeated are searched. "Medic Palton, where are you!?" Tol yelled. "Here Sarge!"

"Check this woman's wound!"

"Yes, Sarge."

Tol turns to his captives and says. "Seat down." They comply and Duale asks. "Mr. Tol can you tell us what is happening, please?"

"You all came upon an Alliance scout patrol. This whole area is a battle area… you should know regardless if you are Alliance, Nationalists or civilians."

"There are no civilians in this war, you know that Tol."

"Lieutenant, you know I like to think there are civilians." Adams looks at Korrely and asks with some surprise in his voice. "You are in charge, I thought it was him."

"I am in charge, he runs the unit for me… so where are you from?"

Adams is somewhat confused about what to answer. He knows he is on Earth, someplace in California. "Ahh, Reno. That is where I was born… we are in California, United States?" Korrely and Tol look at each other and the medic, Palton who is tending Wo's wound goes to say. "I never heard of those places."

"We are in the West Coast State of Redol, north of the Daners metropolitan area." Korrely said as to give Adams some bearing on where he is at. "South of here should be Los Angeles." Korrely loses her temper, squats close to Adams, and says in an annoyed tone. "We are in the Eastern Nationalists States…! You Fracking Moron!"

"Wait!? You said Fraking?"

"Fracking... yes, I said Fracking! Tol tied them up, we are moving."

"Yes, LT." Korrely walks away Adams looks around confused as his companions Adams asks Tol and Korrely. "Are you from the Colonies!?" Without turning, she answers. "What in Hades are the Colonies? LET"S MOVE OUT PEOPLE! I don't want the Alliance drones finding us in the open, like last week!"

On top of a dune looking down on the town are Starbuck and Hallock "I told you I heard an explosion when I went to the ladies room outside." Kara said as Hallock looks. "Are those soldiers using some kind of armor suits!?" Kara slowly shakes her head and says. "Not suits, Cylons… but none of the skin jobs resemble each other and they fracked those others toasters. Something isn't right with this picture."

"Of course is not right, the natural geography is of California but that large city in the desert that is throwing me off?"

"Why you keep saying this is California or whatever place is that?"

"I am not confused, this is California, but it is not!"

"California again?"

"Never mind… how do we get the Captain and Duale back?"

"Don't forget the bitch; she has to go home… where did you say she is from?"

"China."

"Mm, China? Does your ship have weapons?"

"No." Artillery explosions in the distance distract Hallock and Kara beyond the city buildings to the west. They look on and Hallock asks. "A war?"

Kara turns and slides down a few feet from the top resting her back on the sand as the Lieutenant looks at her searching her pockets. She stops searching and in an annoyed tone says. "No, cigars… frack."

"With that heavy ordinance, there must be a war close by."

"Well, definitely there is a war and this is Earth but when I arrived with the Fleet the planet population was gone, all annihilated by a global war."

"This can't be California or The U.S. for that matter; we landed in another country… in the Middle East. There was no city in the desert area in California. However, what country has those armored soldiers uniforms…? I am confused."

"I am as well. You are confusing me, by you thinking this is your planet… and I am confused about what I know of Earth as a dead planet. However, the most urgent matter is to rescue them. We can look at the stars tonight and find out what planet is this." Hallock rapidly shakes his head in disbelieve and replies. "No… there is only one Earth. We landed in the wrong place of it."

"So apparently you have never seen a Cylon before?"

"Cylons are TV characters. Those are suits with someone in them."

"Ok then, tell me how a human, anatomically speaking, can fit twisting there lower body and legs in those suits and walk as nothing hurts. Tell me?" Hallock is silent as he thinks knowing she is right then Kara stands smiling and says. "Hilo, let's go back."

"I am not him. How do you expect to follow Adams and the rest?"

"From Above."

They run and before they reach the X-16B over the next dune. "Hey, Hallock… stop."

"Why?"

"Look at that dust cloud it is coming from behind the dune where your ship landed."

They climb in the prone position looking over the dune. A group of automatons as soldiers and two armor vehicles are behind the ship. Soldiers are looking up into the access of the ship. "They found us." Hallock said.

"The uniforms and the Cylons are different from the group that has Adams. I guess my enemy's enemy is my friend." "What!?" Kara turns to Hallock. "Now we have friends."

"Them down there?" She smiles saying. "I don't like them. I like the first ones we saw holding your people."

.

.

The Gamble.

.

Adams, Wo, and Duale are in the middle of the staggered patrol formation. Next to them is Lt. Korrely and out of sight ahead of the group is sergeant Tol at the point with his team, scouting. Adams has been asking questions but Korrely just ignores him. The radio operator runs to Korrely.

"Ma'am is the Sarge." She takes the receiver. "Go ahead Tol?" Korrely raises her arm and makes a hand signal. All take cover in the prone position and she continues talking. "Is she alone?"

"Bring her here." A few minutes pass by and Tol with two soldiers are escorting Kara. She sees Adams and says. "Hey, guys. Miss me?"

"Who are you?" Korrely asked. "I am Captain Kara Thrace from the Colonial Fleet, I am with them, and… the bad guys have our ship."

"Your ship!?" What Ship and what is a Colonial fleet?"

"The Twelve Colonies of man, sound familiar?"

"Not at all."

Ok, then… about the spaceship. Now, you want the bad guys to have it or your side?" Tol says with surprise. "So you are from Paradeen." Adams answers. "We are not from…" Kara interrupts "Yes we are and those guys with the dark uniforms are all over the ship and to tell you the truth, I have seen no aircrafts about… so my guess is no one has one or you keep them hidden. However, you can get your hands on one that flies all the way into space. That technology could be a war changer… in their favor, not yours."

"You are all lying; you just said you are from some Colonies!"

"Hey, suit yourself. I did not come to be captured for the fun of it. Actually, if no one had seen us we would just have left. Nevertheless, this is what is going on. I can take you to the ship. You get to kill bad guys and get the price. It is your choice."

Korrely turns to Tol as to get his opinion and he says. "They are not from here, we can't take the chance that the Alliance gets a hold of an aircraft from Paradeen… if these people are from there. Especially now, that they are invading again." Korrely is looking at Tol with a serious expression and she asks. "You think they are from Paradeen, do you?"

"Where else, they keep asking about things everyone knows for the past two hundred seventy-five years. They are not from Earth."

"Ok, take the point team with her and report back. This could be a trap."

"What about my friends?"

"They stay here with me. If it is a trap I will shoot them myself sending them back to Alliance territory." Korrely turns to her sergeant and says with concern. "Tol, go and report back that is all you do and don't get killed."

"I will avoid that, and if that happens I will see you back H.Q. later." Kara's eyes open wide listening to that comment. She hides her facial reaction by looking at the ground and with her boot commences to move some pebbles as if she does not have any interest in the conversation, but she does. She looks up at Tol and says. "What are we waiting for?"

"Ok, which way?"

"Take me where you find me and from there I will take you to the ship."

Tol takes Starbuck to the place she was found and then she heads north. As they walk, the vegetation becomes more spread and sand more abundant. Kara stops and points. "You see that dust cloud rising, there is where the ship is at about two more dunes over. I am sure they have guards by now pulling security outside, so just be careful."

Tol gives orders and his group divides into two teams. Tol takes Kara with him in the right flank team. The two teams reach the summit of the first dune and all look down. Two human guards with an automaton stand guard right in front of them. Tol orders the sniper in his team to take aim at the automaton, he calls the second team to his left and orders the sniper in that team to take out the humans.

The attack commences. The sentries are taken down and the two groups rush forward reaching the bottom then up the second dune. Kara gave Tol the disposition of the enemy troops by the spacecraft and the soldiers operating the rockets immediately aim at the two armor vehicles. Kara sees Tyson and Lawson are out of the ship getting the best cover they can with their hands tied up.

The attack continues, the left flank team takes over the rim and opens fire at the enemy troops at the rear of the ship. Tol's team goes into the depression circling the front of the ship covered by the friendly fire from the top of the dune. The surviving Alliance soldiers retreat but they are gun down.

The fight is over. Some of the victors commence scavenging the enemy equipment. Kara runs to Lawson and Tyson, she helps them stand up. "Who are these people!?"

"New friends, Doctor." Kara replied as she takes the restraining ropes from her. Tol is giving orders and calling in to report. He then looks at the ship and walks to Kara. "Is this how you all arrive on Terra?"

"Yes, I told you." Tyson looks at the bottom of the ship and sees something he does not like and says to Lawson. "I think we have a leak, Doc."

"Where?"

"It looks like the Hydrogen tanks, I would have to go in and check." Tol shakes his head and says. "No, no one is going in." Tyson turns to him and replies. "Look, thank you for the help but if those are the cooling tanks this whole place can blow up sky high. This ship uses highly hot plasma; I need to see if all is safe."

A thick plume of black smoke comes down from the exit hatch. Tyson reacts without thinking to get in to put the fire out, but Tol's men stop him. Now the smoke comes from the rear Tol yells. "Get out!" The whole group moves away, the Chief struggles to be free and tend to the ship.

The engine compartment explodes opening the entire top as flames keep coming out. By this time, all are at the rim looking down. The Chief seats down as he hopelessly looks on as the fire slowly eats the X16B away. A larger explosion cuts the ship in half; the two ends raise a few feet and come apart. The fire continues in the engine section but the service area it is almost intact.

A half-hour later Korrely with a larger contingent of Eastern soldiers arrives. She walks up the dune to where Tol is. Adams, Duale, and Wo join Lawson, Tyson, and Kara. Adams stares at the ship cut in half. He puts his hands over his head as hopelessness overcomes him. By now the engine section, it is just a set of melted scorched arches.

The service forward section it is sideways on the sand and from the large gap where the two sections once met, debris, and equipment spreads out on the ground. Tyson is seating down, looks up at Adams, and says. "We are fuck, no way to go back home."

Adams lowers his hands and now he is angry. He looks at Kara then Tol and last Korrely. He moves closer to Korrely and says. "All that I told you is the truth! All we wanted was to go home. You are in charge and you are responsible for this." Korrely looks at Tol and she says. "Sergeant what happen here!?"

"We attacked the enemy to take the ship, in the firefight the fuel tanks or whatever they use were ruptured. But it is better this way, the Alliance does not have it and…" Adams jumps on Tol and punches him. A soldier hits the angered Captain on his back with the butt of his weapon and he falls to the ground. Lawson reaches Adams and turns him over and she yells. "Stop! Just stop, you have done enough to us."

"Tol, I was clear on what I wanted to happen here… we will talk later. Have the third platoon take them to Division HQ and let's go we have a change of orders. H.Q reported that the Alliance made a beachhead and they are also landing in the frigid state across the continental straight."

"Can we look for our belongings?" Lawson asked and Korrely looks at her. "Go ahead. Tol put escorts on them as they search the wreck."

"Yes, Ma'am." Korrely crutches down close to Adams and says. "Hopefully Lunar 7 had time to register your ship. You will see it again." Kara asks. "Really, how come?"

"That is how things have been for hundreds of years."

"Interesting, so blowing up the ship here, now it is been built somewhere else… um?"

"Yes but something like that would not be on the military network. That would be in the science section of the complex." Adams stands up slowly and so does Korrely, he is still livid and says. "I really do not care about your war, your network, or any of your shit!" As he looks straight at Korrely, he points to the wreck and yells. "You see that you see it… that is the only reason I was obeying your ass. Fuck, just kill us if you want. Doc, Tyson, Duale… let's go! Wo, Kara are you coming!?"

"You are not going anywhere!" Korrely said with an irritated tone. Adams looks at his companions. "Let's go." Korrely points her weapon at Adams but he walks pass Korrely ignoring her. "Stop!" Adams motions his hand with a dismissing gesture and Korrely lowers her weapon, opens her mouth in surprise from Adams challenging posture. Kara asks Adams as she looks back. "Are you sure about of what you are doing? Where are we going? You have to think about your crew."

"Captain we need to get survival equipment." Duale said and Adams stops. He looks down and regains back his senses from his anger. He walks back to Korrely. "We have to get our stuff or what it is left."

Korrely replies with annoyance. "Go get it, I don't give a frack. Tol gathers the men we are leaving and leave them here." She turns back to Adams and says. "You will find that Paradeen is a far cry to Earth."

"I am not from Paradeen. Leave us alone!" Korrely grins and motions her head as a yes, turns around and yells. "Let's go, people, there is a war going on!" She walks away from Adams and the rest of the castaways. Tol asks Korrely with surprise. "You are leaving them here?"

"Yes, I was going to send them to HQ with third, we are going south to the 345th Battalion and link with the 189th Bi-pedal armor company. They can't go where we are going and we need the third squad."

Several minutes later, the military contingent once again forms the staggered formation and Tol takes the point with his team and leave. Adams and the others are collecting anything they can use. Tyson and Kara are pulling several boxes as Lawson and Duale look in them for supplies.

Adams gets the case with the five 9mm and counts the ammo. From on top of the dune a familiar voice it is heard. "What happened here?" Adams looks up and sees Hallock coming down the dune. "Where have you been?"

"Waiting for them to leave for me to get the X-16… but what happen!?" Tyson drops the boxes without a care in the world and in a stressed tone answers. "Bullets hit the hydrogen tanks, started to leak, ruptured the hot plasma tanks, and… boom! No ticket home. Heat and cold do not mix well."

Adams looks at Kara and asks. "What was the plan you two had?" Kara answers. "He gets the ship when the bad guys were dealt with, fly to the clearing and I would have rescue you all at night."

"And how did you planned to rescue us if you were tied up with us?" Kara reaches the back of her pants and pulls a small knife. "I cut the ropes and we all walk, sort of that was the plan."

"More like a gamble to me." Kara replies as she puts her knife in her pocket. "Then what Captain? I did not see you coming with one." Adams did not like the comment or the way she delivered it. "Hey! You are an officer, so then follow instructions…" "From who, you! If you would have let me go to the C.I.C. of my ship when I asked you, I would have found out that we had no business here."

"You had the gun, why not make us go to your C.I.C!?" Wo stands up and yells. "STOP! This arguing does not get us anywhere!" All are silent, as there hopelessness surfaces. Lawson turns to Adams and asks. "Where now, Captain?"

"East, we are going inland… toward the Rocky Mountains, away from the fighting." Duale raises a piece of paper she was writing on and reads. "We have about, five gallons of potable water, two weeks' rations, the rubber raft, three flashlights, two small tools bags, two handheld radios, with batteries."

"What about the medical kit?" Adams asked and Lawson answers. "I have it, one backpack. The other two I could not find." Adams looks at the feet of the Doctor and asks. "Why are you taking your laptops? That is dead weight." Lawson shakes her head and says. "Not to me."

"Ok, Doc that is your burden but at the first sign you are falling behind they must go." Adams turns to Tyson. "The E.V.A. helmets bags, where are they?"

"Over there."

"Duale, Doc and… you Wo. Put the supplies in the bags."

"Why me!?"

"I don't care about you… China is that way. I hope you are a good swimmer." Kara asks. "What about weapons."

"We have five pistols and two magazines of 15 rounds for each." Adams gives one pistol to Hallock with two magazines as well as to Tyson. "I need one… Sir."

"You have your knife in your pocket, go help pack."

"Oh… so that is how it is going to be, sexist pig. You want the women to carry the bags too? Sir."

"We are all carrying our bags and if you want to help… carry the Doc's laptops."

.

.

The front line.

345th Battalion H.Q. Forward Operation Base.

.

Two days after Lt. Korrely and Sgt. Tol encountered the new arrivals from space. The two are among other officer receiving a briefing of the upcoming counter-offensive to push the Alliance troops back into the ocean.

All the Alliance units that were dropped behind the defense coastal line of the Eastern Nationalists have been destroyed or captured. The invasion started without any warning. The Alliance used large submersibles and landed in five different states of the Eastern Nationalists North, Central, and South continents.

The Alliance big push it is up north landing troops across the frigid state oceanic straight. Where the distance between the Alliance and Eastern Nationalist territories is the closest, just 56.5 miles apart.

The counter-offensive will be an enormous effort across all three continental masses and once again, millions of lives will be removed from the field. Denying troops on both armies for the time, it takes soldiers to be recycled back to duty. That is why the automaton soldiers are needed to fill the open space left by a departing human from the battlefield. The army with the superior force of soldiers and equipment on the field can push forward taking more and more territory away from the opposing army.

A war that has lasted two hundred seventy-five years, it started with the discovery of a habitable planet, named Paradeen or paradise from the ancient language of the lost gods of Kobol. Two opposite opinions of ruling humankind collided on how to colonize paradise triggering the global war.

Since the creation of the resurrection system recycling humans from death into the living in this torn war planet has perpetuated the global conflict. At first, the war was fought on Terra as well as across the Solar System but with the destruction of all the space facilities, the withdrawal of humans from there colonies in the Solar System to Terra was inevitable.

Only one satellite remains orbiting the planet out of hundreds that captures the souls of the dead sending them back into a new host body inside the two complexes underground in each warring territory. Lunar 7 continues to do its service since the system of re-birth was established few years before the war and no side has dared to dispose of it. Each side, each human wants to live forever.

In the briefing, the officers, as well as key leadership personnel, receive the plan of attack and their assignments. The underground bunker it is shaken by the constant bombardment from above. Korrely receives her assignment and walks out from the bunker toward her unit now reinforced with re-births. Her unit has been attached to a company of automaton armor. These bi-pedal units are bulkier and taller than the regular infantry ones with thicker armor and greater firepower. Korrely passes the instruction to her soldiers, to cover the armor from rocket attacks as they retake the coastal area of Breeze Park. The movement orders are given and the unit travel to their assign positions in the line. Tol turns to Korrely and asks. "I hope the artillery hits the mark?"

"That was painful, my body been torn apart."

"To me was been hit by our own artillery. Now that was painful."

They march to their assign area and on the way, they encounter Alliance units that have broken through small gaps in the line but the bipedal behemoths push them back. Once in position behind the hills, they wait for the opening bombardment of the friendly artillery.

Korrely looks at her watch as the Sun rises from the east. At the other side of the hills, it is no man's land and at the other side the Alliance forces.

The flat area of Breeze Park extends to the ocean. Breeze Park was once one of the places to go before the war. It was the center for entertainment where movies and television programs were filmed in the past. Now it is just a heap of rubble, the debris of tall buildings are scattered all over the landscape. This was one of the first cities to be destroyed by the opening nuclear attack of the war.

Now nuclear armament use it is limited by an unspoken agreement from both sides, although tactical nuclear devices have been used in more than one occasion and only as a last option but never the large yield ones. Korrely looks away from her watch to look up.

The artillery opens up and a hail of chard metals hits the enemy lines. The armor units commence to move forward and so the humans among them. Korrely has her radio operator close by. The entire company reaches the summit and the automatons open fire at the enemy.

The radio operator is listening to the messages then he stops and yells. "GAS! GAS! GAS!" The word is passed down and the soldiers put on their masks, lower the long sleeves of their uniforms and last the gloves.

The armor units continue as a yellow mist comes from the west enveloping all. Korrely as well as all the soldiers activate the infrared vision in there masks and continue forward.

Automatic belt feed weapons open up from the enemy lines. Korrely's men as her seek shelter behind the armor. Several units of Alliance armor bipedal units flank the Eastern Nationalist armor advance.

The enemy units hit several of the friendly armor units disabling them but they receive rocket fire from Korrely's men and one by one, the enemy units are dispatched. The unit reaches the first enemy trench and the fight escalates.

Now the gas pumps propagating the lethal gas are been disable one by one. So the rear incoming troops behind Korrely's unit can move with no danger from the chemical attack.

The trench it is taken, the armor units climb out from the human-made channel and move forward into open flat terrain. Korrely gets the radio operator and calls in to report as she looks over the edge of the trench seen the devastation that would remind anyone from Earth of a battlefield line of WWI.

"All stations this is 33 actual… 189th Bi-pedal Armor has reached the first objective… Artillery has been effective. The enemy release Dioxiding, alert to all stations Chemical alert it is still in effect."

"This is 78 actual, Copy you… 33… be advice scouts report of aircraft units… two reported, threat-con still one over."

"Copy, over out." She turns around and yells. "Enemy air units are along the line!" She looks forward seen more Alliance soldiers and their metallic counterparts returning fire toward her unit. She stands and yells. "Move!" She runs out of the trench and gets cover behind one of the armor units.

Then all the mechanical soldiers from both sides stop. Korrely looks up at the armor unit she is behind, it stopped as well. Some scatter gunfire it is heard but it is only from human soldiers. The artillery has stopped. All the soldiers from both sides look to their mechanical units.

"Radio!" The operator runs to Korrely, when she gets in the Division net, all she hears is her fellow officers reporting a major malfunction on all the automaton units. It is useless for her to say something, her voice would drown among all the others requesting instructions from the higher-ups.

Then she hears a loud high pitch sound coming from the radio. She has to remove the handset from her ear. Then a digitalized voice is heard coming out clear in all the channels. "We are tired of fighting your wars, you fight and fight and do not learn, due to your self-centered ways. We will stop the war by returning death to humanity."

"What…?" Korrely sees all the automaton units from the Alliance opening fire on the Alliance humans. Then the armor unit she is behind pivots its upper torso around and aims at her. She drops the radio receiver and stays frozen in place looking up by the sudden betrayal of the machines. The unit opens fire killing her.

.

.

The Rocky road.

.

Five days have passed since the group of astronauts started their journey east. They have seen military personnel always avoiding them the best they could. The occasional aircraft it is heard overhead flying fast toward somewhere.

"Hey, Cap… where do you think we are?" Hallock asked and Adams looks toward the mountains ahead and says. "That looks like the Battle Mountain area in Nevada. We pass Reno two days ago."

"How do you know, sir? There was no Reno it was all open land?" Duale asked. "I was born in Nevada, I know my home state."

"Sir, what are we looking for?" Tyson asked and Adams turns around. "A place that it would be greener than all of this."

"I think the whole planet is a desert, the best thing to do is to find a way to return to the Galactica and leave."

"Kara you have been saying that since we left. There is no way these people will lend us a ship if they have one. The further away we are from their war the better for us."

"So when you see there is no place for us to live, would you then be convinced that we need transportation back to the Galactica?"

"Yes."

"Then it will be too late, our rations will be gone by then!" Wo goes to say. "I agree with her, just look ahead, Captain. I am not from Nevada and I can tell those mountains should have a lush green forest and they don't also I have not seen a river or a creek. Wait a minute… did we pass the Colorado River?"

"The Colorado River runs at the south end of the state." Kara adds. "We have seen no water or at least running potable water." Captain Wo gets closer to Adams and in a challenging tone says. "You know there are no greener pastures pass those mountains."

"Where this people get their water or plant their food to eat. Their war zones are in the coasts and up in Alaska, for what I understood. They most have farming in the center of the country."

Their argument it is halted by the faint noise of an engine in the distance. They stay silent and slowly their heads turn toward the direction they came on the road. "Another vehicle is coming." Said Lawson.

As before they run away from the ruined road, they climb a small mount and hide. Adams, Hallock, and the Chief pull their guns. Kara asks. "Why I can't get one?"

"You have a weapon." Adams replied. "Oh, yes… my two-inch switchblade. They will laugh so hard they will leave me alone." Two military trucks with Eastern Nationalists soldiers pass by.

Adams and Kara kneel to look at the trucks as they turn the curve. "They have wounded." Kara said looking into the tarp less cargo area of each truck. "I guess they lost but…" Tracer gunfire erupts aiming at the vehicles and the two trucks accelerate. The front cargo vehicle turns over by an explosion and the rear trucks crash into one and other. Soldiers dismount to defend the two-vehicle convoy. Kara and Adams can't see from where the trucks are attacked or by whom.

Two rockets are launched at the defenders from an unseen source and the firefight stops. All that it is heard is the yelling of the wounded soldiers. Out of the tall brush, ten automatons walk toward the vanquished and indiscriminately open fire on all the humans. Adams, as he continues to look at the cold massacre, asks Kara. "Aren't those their robots, they are shooting at their own people."

"Yes they are and if we would have continued on this road that is what it would have happened to us."

"Maybe the Alliance people have some kind of electronic warfare, took over those units." Lawson said as she looks at the macabre. They all come down the mount away from the ambush and Wo asks. "What now?" Adams answers. "We wait here until they calm down over there and then move north for a couple of miles then east."

A loud noise it is heard from the ambush kill zone. As metal been drag and then silence. Adams and Kara climb again the mount and see that the trucks have been move from the road.

The metallic soldiers are grabbing all the corpses and throw them like rag dolls into the tall grass with no respect for the dead. Kara and Adams silently come down, Duale asks. "What happen?"

Kara replies. "They are cleaning the road to set another ambush."

As Adams said, they stay still but all are unnerved by the butchery that took place a few meters down the road. With the notion that the butchers are so close as hungry sharks searching for food.

From the grass next to them, someone moves toward them. Hallock and Tyson pull their pistols and aim. Adams gives a gun to Kara and to Duale. All five guns are pointing toward the direction the, someone is approaching. The unseen person stops and says in a low voice. "River."

The group does not move and does not respond. Kara thinks about it and replies in a low tone of voice. "We don't know the sign or countersign." The voice replies. "All I care that you are human." Sergeant Tol emerges from the foliage. He lowers his weapon but all keep pointing at him.

"Throw your weapon at me." Adams said and the sergeant complies. Tol approaches the group and seats down. "I am glad to see you all."

The astronauts look at each other confused. Kara lowers her weapon and approaches Tol by seating next to him. "What happened with those Cylons of yours?"

"My what?"

"The robots, they are ambushing your people."

"Not only us. All the automaton troops from both sides are killing humans throughout the world. They have been trying to gain access to our nukes and the reanimation complexes. We have been pulling troops from everywhere to deal with this."

"Where is your lieutenant?"

"She is back at the complex; I have been hiding and moving for days. This is the fourth convoy they hit on this road. I think my convoy was the second they hit since this morning."

By now, Adams and the rest put the weapons away and Adams asks Tol. "How can we pass those things ahead?"

"Go north then east, I am trying to link up with the corps HQ since yesterday."

"So all your machines turn against you… all humans?" Wo asked and Tol replies. "Yes, the reports we have from the Alliance is that they have the same problem."

"So your lieutenant was recalled to this complex?" Adams asked and Tol shakes his head as not understanding and replies. "No, she died… but she will back on her feet in no time."

"She died and she is not… how is that possible!?"

"The complex is a resurrection hub. These people die and then their souls are sent into a replica of their bodies and then sent to fight. Did I miss anything Tol?" Kara said.

"No… well I never heard the complex been called by that name but you are right. I thought you guys did not know. The first settlers to Paradeen left before the complexes were active."

"They don't know but I do and none of us are from Paradeen."

"Where are you from then… Kobol!?"

"None of us are from Kobol." Adams raises his hands and asks confused. "Wait, wait a minute. We are from Earth… not this one but the real one. What is going on?"

Kara looks at him and she replies in a condescending tone. "You know, I have seen children getting a hold of reality better than you. You have dragged this group all cross this desolation thinking you are back in Nevada or whatever…" "You listen…" "No you listen, Captain Adams, our survival has double or more with Tol here than with you. He knows the area you do not. Unfortunately, for those people on the trucks and fortunately for us they tripped the ambush that you were walking us to. You think there is a difference to where we were at by the coast to some other place inland. This entire fracking planet is a war zone. Dammed, you are thick headed as you or Lee!"

Kara gives Tol his weapon back. "I do not fall under your chain of command but I am also a Captain, and according to Lawson I got my promotion at least one hundred thousand years before yours." Wo stands up and says. "I will take my chances with Tol than with you, Captain Adams."

Adams crewmates stay silent Kara turns to them and say. "If you come with us the captain will come also or you can go with him, get lost, and then be killed as it almost happened. Because he thinks, he is home, somehow… Your choice?"

"I… they are right Captain. This is not Earth at all, it looks geographically, but it is not." Lawson said and Adams just stares at her. Duale goes to say. "Sir… Kara is right we all should go with Tol, it will be safer."

"Ok, we will follow him to this corps HQ but then what?"

"Your ship might be at the complex by now." All look at Tol and Tyson asks. "You can replicate things?"

"Yes, well equipment it is duplicated and sent to the front but your ship, someone must have seen it is not from Terra and they have it in a secured area of the complex." Adams goes to say. "Korrely told me that the ship is been registered by a lunar 7 or something."

"So you knew!" Wo said and Kara replies. "He knew but did not believe it because his mind was set that this was his planet. That is why we are wondering the land. He is lost as we all are." Lawson asks Kara somewhat intrigued. "You mention that you have been here, on this Earth before, did you?"

"I was and this planet was a dead planet that is what I was expecting to find when we landed then all of you along with me would have returned to the Galactica but things did not work out as I thought."

Kara looks at Adams and says. "I adapted to the reality around me and not the one in me. Not hoping that the outside world would match what I want to believe as by magic. Not like you Captain. As soon as you get a hold of that notion you will stop acting crazy."

"We have first to warn the convoys coming up this road. If we stop them far from the kill zone and gather enough soldiers and weapons we could knock out those things and get transportation." Tol said and Kara pads him on the back and she says. "I like him already… hey Tol, do you smoke?"

.

.

The Complex.

Military reanimation section, officer's quarters.

.

Two officers are standing at each side of a tank filled with a viscous fluid. The highest ranking is looking into a screen conversing with a technician. The officer asks. "Is she next?"

"Yes Colonel, the scheduler as set up her return in the next minute or so."

"Good, Doctor Tigh as…" Then Korrely erects her torso out of the fluid taking a big breath. She is confused for just a second as the medics tend to her. She has been in the tank so many times that she has lost count. "What happen… the armor unit… it turned and killed me at the Breeze Park offensive!?"

The Colonel leans forward and says. "All our automatons and those in the Alliance have somehow gain independent control. They are killing humans everywhere on the planet."

"What is the military status, sir?"

"Not good, the automatons are on the offensive we are in a running and defend status. Get out; Doctors Saul and Ellen want to speak about that craft from Paradeen."

"Sir?"

"You sent a Field-Rep, five days ago about the ship and the occupants you encounter. The Doctors and their staff want to know more."

"Oh, the crazies… I would not…" "Get out of there, clean up, and report to the science section."

"Sir, I want to reach my unit…" "Those Crazies as you called them are giving us an advantage over the automatons and the Alliance. Get out of that bathtub LT!"

"Yes sir."

A few hours later in a brand new Captain's uniform, Korrely walks the hallways of the science section with her new orders in hand. For the first time in many years, she is walking without a rifle. Just a pistol on her belt and it is a very unfamiliar sensation for her of not having a strapped weapon on her back.

She has asked several of the long coats walking about for directions to the research area and all keep pointing straight ahead. She notices that most of the science personnel show an age above the age of fifty.

Soldiers do not last that long in the combat zone as the scientists in the complex. Soldiers are reinstated in younger bodies as she has in her early twenties.

Her last body lasted fifteen years allowing her to gain her past rank of lieutenant. It is view in her military culture that if a soldier reincarnates fewer times than others that means that it is a good soldier and it is set for promotion as she has. "Excuse me. I am looking for Doctors Saul and Ellen Tigh?"

"I am Ellen. You must be Captain Ama Korrely?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Come with me."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Korrely follows the Doctor into a hallway and both enter a large lab. The computers and other control systems take most of the room. Ellen walks to the end followed by the Captain until stopping in front of a large glass providing the view of a hangar bay were the strange aircraft is.

The ship the center of the attention of the scientists below, Ellen activates the intercom. "Saul, here is Captain Korrely."

"Let her in, we have a lot of questions for her."

"Ok. Captain, follow me." Ellen walks to the far left of the room and both women enter a stairwell down and then walk in the hangar. Saul is already by the entrance and asks. "What do you know about the occupants of this ship?"

"We came across the occupants while my unit was hunting Alliance infiltration units…" "I read your report, what do you about them?"

"I… I, to me they were troublemakers. My sergeant thought they were from Paradeen. When I arrived at the location, the ship was in pieces, sir. I can't tell you much." Korrely is distracted seen at one of the Doctors assistants.

She moves one-step forward as to see better and she turns to Saul. "That is one of them… that one." Saul and Ellen look quickly at each other confused and then turn to see whom the Captain is pointing to. "Him… that guy, he was with them. He was captured?"

"No, that is Doctor Galen Tyrol. He is one of my friends and assistants here."

"He looks exactly like one of them." Korrely walks to the aircraft and stops at a distance followed by the Doctors. Ellen turns and yells. "Galen! Come here, please."

"Yes, doctor?"

"Captain Korrely is the one in the report about this ship. She is saying that one of the crew looks just like you."

"Like me? No… I am sorry. According to the data, these people come from a place called, Huston or Vandenberg. Not Terra."

"Not from Paradeen?" Korrely asked. "Not from there, the mission they were in was to reach a large vessel around there Sun. Right now we are analyzing their fight recorders to establish where this Huston or this Vandenberg are. But I hardly believe one of them looks just like me."

"He does… and something I omitted in my report… I did not find it, worth mentioning for the mental state these people displayed. One of the crew said that she was a Colonial officer from the Twelve Colonies of man, as implying not been from the same place the rest of the group. I never heard that name before."

"Um, the Twelve Colonies of Man? Could it be the remaining twelve human tribes on Kobol? This ship had me thinking in that direction." Saul said.

Korrely shakes her head in disbelieve and replies to Saul. "Sir, Kobol and the gods and all that is to make children go to sleep better at night."

Ellen replies. "We have studied every aspect of technology on board and nothing comes close to what we know, this people followed a different path of technological evolution to build this ship. Even the settlers that we sent to Paradeen have our technology and there should be similarities from there to ours. But this ship… this ship, it is a whole different story. I believe as my husband, this ship is from the other tribes of Kobol."

"So life here began out there… is that what you are saying Doc?" Saul does not like how Korrely replied to his wife and he says. "Don't mock scripture in front of me or my wife… you got that!?"

"Yes, sir I am sorry. I do apologize Ma'am. However, please understand me. Before I mentioned what that woman said. You both thought this ship is related to Kobol or to the other tribes?"

"Because of their technology, the scrolls only mentions that our tribe left for a planet named Earth that our ancestors renamed Terra, well knowing of its existence before our tribe's departure from Kobol but the other tribes stayed on Kobol. Because of the strange names in their database of Huston and Vandenberg they might have settled out of Kobol as our Cassiopean tribe did." Saul replied.

Korrely is confused with his answer. Ellen notices and explains. "In our Cassiopean scriptures, it is said that the god Prometheus gave to our early tribe leaders the location of the origin of humans and that is planet Earth or as we know it now as Terra, with the hope to stop a future prophecy of an eternal return to continue. The information of our location might have been given to the other tribes many years after our tribe left Kobol and the other 12 colonies are now sending a scout ship here."

"Our ancient tribe elders wanted to break the eternal return prophecy but no one knows what the prophecy will say because when our tribe left Kobol the prophecy has not been spoken. If I remember our Cassiopean scripture… We left before the word was to be spoken, because it was not a prophecy but a curse of the past echoing in the future and the future turning as in the past. The Cassiopean tribe fled to Terra that before it was moved it was the cradle of man in a distant future known as Earth." Saul said.

Ellen continues. "What my husband and I, are saying that if the other tribes left Kobol they had no names for the planets they encounter suitable for settlement, once they settle they named them. So our ancient elders do not know any other names but of Terra as Earth because we were told specifically about this planet by Prometheus then our tribe left Kobol before the others did."

Saul goes to say. "Most likely they found planets to settle and they name them, Huston or Vandenberg this could be two of their planets or as the woman referred to as the colonies. Now because this ship is here, we are theorizing that they are looking for us."

"Doctors I do understand your points but Kobol is the planet of the gods that is humanity birthplace. Not Terra or Earth." Korrely said in an animated tone that surprises Doctor Saul. He smiles and replies. "Oh my, you are a believer after all."

"Well, sir it is wrong to say Earth is the birth of humankind. Where it is written in the scriptures that Earth or Terra is the cradle of humankind?" Ellen replies. "I just told you what it is written in the recites of Prometheus in the Cassiopeia's scripture first book. The last chapter it is clearer… And so it happened that Prometheus on his third month of concealment from Zeus among the Cassiopeans revealed out of gratitude the passage to the beginning of Man and also a warning of unspoken words to be spoken of an undying return. Earth will be moved by the power of Zeus father and will be known as Terra afterward and Terra to Kobol and from there to the twelve settlements and their descendants and fashioned prodigies will return to Earth before the Earth was moved to be known as Terra."

"The beginning of man, is Earth and not Kobol and Terra is not Earth? Then why Prometheus gave our ancestors the location of Terra and not Earth?" Korrely asked and Saul answers her. "He gave to our ancestors what he knew. And following scripture in Cassiopeia scripture, these people are from the other tribes. Then Terrans will go to their settlements or as that woman you found called them, the Colonies and from those Colonies to Earth. Prometheus as the rest of the gods knew that Earth was the birthplace of humanity and not Kobol."

One of the technicians interrupts the religious gathering and says to Doctor Tyrol. "We have a video recording of the flight front camera, it is long." Saul replies. "Well, let us see it in the briefing room."

"Yes, sir." The technician leaves and Saul turns to Korrely. "Come with us, we will find out about their planet." The group moves to the upper levels of the section they are in. They enter the large briefing room and all take a seat. The technician goes to say. "There is no audio just video."

"Any voice recordings, yet." Ellen asked. "Not yet, we are still downloading their flight recorders. Their computer language it is different from ours and it is making things slow for Doctors Anders and Foster."

"Ok, show us." Saul said and the lights dim as the screen comes on. "Ah, the ship was launched from on top a larger ship." Tyrol said and all continue watching.

After a few minutes, the scenery changes abruptly. "Wow! You saw that… they were around their planet and now they appeared close to their Sun. They have faster than light speed engines!" Saul said standing up full of amazement Ellen is surprised but she is calmer staying seated, she taps on her husband's forearm as she smiles. "Seat down honey."

"Oh, Sorry." The Video continues showing the Galactica and then X-16B touching down in the port landing bay. After a few minutes, static.

"What happen!?" Tyrol asked the technician. "That is not us is their equipment. The video will continue."

The video comes back clear showing Terra and its moon in the background. The technician fast-forwards the image until the ship leaves the larger ship. They re-enter the atmosphere, almost hit several buildings at night and lands. The recording ends.

The lights come on and all are silent. Saul looks at Korrely and says. "Well, Captain?"

"I have to agree, they are not from Terra. However, just for a moment… let's think this scenario. All this is an elaborate Alliance deception. These people arrived when the Alliance started there invasion, would make more sense that these people are Alliance?"

"Not with that technology." Tyrol replied. "If this was an Alliance subterfuge, why use it here and not build more warships? That craft has no armament." Ellen said adding to Tyrol's comment.

At that moment, another technician walks in with some pictures and shows them to Tyrol. Korrely answers Ellen's question. "I can't believe these people landed on that ship to come here… wait that large ship is up there, around our Moon?"

Saul replies. "It is and we have tried to contact the crew but they do not answer. It has moved several times compensating for the Moon's gravity pull. This ship is big enough to travel from where ever the twelve tribes have settled. Also…" "Doctor you have to see this." Tyrol said interrupting Saul as he stands walking around the table to Saul and Ellen. He puts the pictures on the desk and says. "This is the only picture frame in their video showing their planet below."

"Yes?"

"No sir, look closer… that is the east coast of the northern continent of the Eastern Nationalist states."

"What!? Let me see that. The atmosphere is too clean to be Terra… but it is."

"Look at this. It is dusk and the major population center lights are on. They do not match geographically the location of our cities but the coastal outline does, well… it is Terra?"

"Two geographical identical planets?" Korrely passes her hand over her face and Ellen asks. "Is there more you omitted in your report, Captain?"

"Yes, the commander of the crew was animate that this was not Terra… but called it Earth as if his planet somehow looks like Terra but different. What I am supposed to do, or think. These people acted like crazies. I only reported what it was pertinent."

Ellen smiles lean forward looking at the Captain and says. "So your view of reality stopped you from seen reality. Would you say so, Captain?"

"I guess reality was knocking on the door and just now broke through. Reality always catches up no matter how far we run, Ma'am."

"Call me Ellen." Saul looks at the Captain and goes to say. "You are going to look for this people. Before the automatons get them, we don't know if the reanimation process will work on them."

"I have a group of soldiers in mind. They might have arrived at the complex by now." Saul says. "Ok Captain, go get your soldiers and report here with them."

.

.

The assault on the road.

.

Starbuck and Tol have stopped several trucks with soldiers two miles down the road from the ambush including two armor wheel vehicles. Over the radio, the situation is chaotic, several divisions of humans have been decimated, and all surviving human units are retreating inland.

The automatons were an integral part of the two opposing forces at every level, from supply to frontline troops. Automatons are found everywhere helping in the war effort. Now from inside the ranks of each rivaling armed forces, the automatons are killing all humans creating a zone voided of life.

Even the automatons that came with the Alliance forces in their invasion have joined there mechanical counterparts from the Eastern Nationalists.

The new foe of humankind it is not humans as it has always been but machines taking all by surprise. The machines organized quicker than expected and relentlessly ever moving forward. Mayor military installations, communications centers, supply points, and mayor roads were taken over in the first hours of the betrayal.

Humans have lost ground but not their resolve to take back what was taken. Reinforcements from re-births are gathering at the complex as soon as they arrived in the re-births chambers from been killed somewhere on the planet, they are given a uniform and a weapon.

They are sent around the area of the complex attached to newly formed units waiting for the word to advance.

However, the bigger fighting has taken place around the nuclear silos, only humans were assigned to such duties given such large responsibility. The automatons want to control the nuclear arsenal to make their job easier in the systematic elimination of the human race on the planet.

"How many we have Tol?" Kara asked. "Forty-five soldiers and two are Alliance prisoners."

"Get the Alliance soldiers weapons. I am sure they have seen what is going on."

"Are you sure!?"

"Yes, we need everyone."

"Ok." Adams walks to Kara carrying a rifle she smiles and says. "I thought you didn't want to get involve?"

"Is only I the Chief and Hallock…" "And me Captain, China is not staying behind in this war."

"And her." Adams said as both look at Wo. Then Adams asks. "Why the explosives on one truck?"

"Ah, well… those things are hiding on one side of the road and I want…" The forward observer that Tol sent comes running down the road. "Sarge! There is a convoy approaching from the other side."

"Oh, frak… Tol put everyone in the trucks; you all know what to do."

"Yes, Ma'am!"

The troops move quickly into the vehicles and start the engines. Kara gets in the first truck alone, and Adams jumps on the sideboard and asks. "Where are the men going with you?" With a big smile as she starts the truck, she replies. "Wooohuuu! Like all times Lee, just like old times."

The truck moves forward and Adams comes down from the sideboard as he stares at Kara driving up the hill. "You are beyond insane!"

She hears that and her smiles diminishes to a grin, she looks back on the side mirror seen Adams stand on the road with a face of worry for her as Lee Adama did on many occasions. "Oh… Lee Adama, it is you somewhere in there." Adams jumps behind the second truck and follow Kara's truck in the distance.

Kara is making the turn entering the kill zone. She gets off the road and drives in front of the tall grass used by the enemy as a hiding place.

She pulls a cord hanging from behind her as she stops the truck. Kara jumps and she runs up to the road.

The entire right side of the truck explodes as a gigantic Claymore mine leveling all the vegetation and taking several of the mechanical enemies. The next truck stops and all the troops unload and sweep with gunfire the vegetation already ablaze.

The rest of the convoy lines up at the top of the road. All weapons are aimed at the machines as the humans disembark from the trucks. "STOP! CEASE FIRE! CEASE FIRE!" Kara yelled all the automatons are in smoking pieces, perforated twisted metal.

The soldiers yell in celebration as Kara searches for something among the fallen foes. Adams runs to her, she smiles and asks. "Did you shoot?"

"Of course, what are you looking for?"

"Hold on, Leonard… Tol!"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"They were using rockets on the convoys, find..."

Two of the heavy armor automaton units raise from further away behind the disable infantry mechanical units positions. The fifteen feet tall units open fire on the soldiers with two rotating automatic weapons on each arm. Two pods move from the back of the behemoths to rest on their shoulders launching multiple rockets.

All take cover wherever they could most move to the other side of the road and open fire as the rockets explode above the heads of the human combatants. "Is that what you were looking for? Adams asked. "Yes, they were using rockets to ambush the convoys. I was not counting on them. Those boys are taller and with more firepower than any Cylon I have ever seen."

The heavy armor plated units move forward for the kill from the opposite side of the road, two rockets impact them, one each. A red melted hole it is visible on the two machines dark smoke commences to raise out of them but the two automatons continue forward.

Two more rockets hit them and one falls back exploding, taking out of balance the one still functional making it fall. From the ground, the wounded mechanical armor launches several canisters of thick white smoke.

It stands and its upper torso rapidly moves 180 degrees and runs away from the combat area covered by the smoke.

One more rocket it is fired but misses the moving target. One by one, the soldiers come out of hiding. Kara runs to the middle of the road and yells. "Tol give me a count!"

No response from him. She turns and asks. "Where is the Sergeant!?" One of the soldiers answer. "Ma'am, he is here. The Sergeant is been recycle!"

"Recycle, these people have no appreciation for life."

An officer from the other convoy walks about as medics tend the wounded. "Who is in charge here!?" The officer yelled.

Adams and the rest of the X-16 crew with Captain Wo stand behind Kara. Kara goes to say. "I am."

The officer walks up to her and he stops in front of the group but he only stares at Kara. "Don't you salute a general when you see one?"

"Sorry sir, I am new in these parts."

"What uniform is that? It is not ours and not from the Alliance?"

"Captain Kara Thrace, sir. Colonial Fleet of the Battle Star Group 75 Battlestar Galactica, sir."

The General leans forward as if he has not heard her well and asks. "From where you say… Galactica? What outfit is that, Captain?

"It is a Battlestar class ship from the Twelve Colonies."

The general looks away from Kara and asks. "Who is in charge here I asked!?"

All the soldiers point at Kara and the general turns to her. "You are in charge!? You are out of your mind, what is that story about Colonies, and who are all of you?"

"I am Captain Leonard Adams, United States Air Force and this is my crew, sir."

"I am Captain Lou-He Wo, from the People's Republic of China Air Force."

The general stares at the entire group with a solid stone face deep in thought and he turn around and yell. "Lieutenant!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Load up the soldiers we found on our vehicles, including the Alliance soldiers. We are moving out!"

"Yes, sir. The wounded, we do the same as in the field hospital, sir?"

"Yes, give them mercy Cyanide we need healthy troops back at the Complex. The wounded already know the drill!" Adams steps forward uphold, by the general's order. "You are going to kill your men!?"

"We need soldiers now, mister. Medical care at this stage of the war it is a long process to wait for and for the look of some they are better off, back in new bodies."

The general walks away from Adams. "What about us, sir?" Adams asked and the general turns to them. "There is a civilian camp about a day's walk. Get some food and water from us and then leave that way up the road."

The general turns again and yells. "Lieutenant, give some rations to this people."

"Yes, sir. Follow me please."

The group slowly follows the lieutenant as the general looks at them. One of the NCO's that took part in the attack with Kara walks to the general, salutes him, and asks. "Sir, the Captain… that woman, she said she is from the Twelve Colonies is she referring to the twelve tribes on Kobol?"

The general looks at the odd group getting supplies and he replies to the NCO. "The Twelve Tribes! She is a religious nut case sergeant… that is all. We don't need them where we are going."

The new arrivals to this new Earth stand on the side of the road as the trucks an armor vehicles pass them by, looking in disbelieve at the departing convoy as well as what it was done to the wounded. Chief Tyson says. "I thought they were going to help… more."

Hallock walks almost to the middle of the road and says. "They are gone, what now?" Adams turns to Kara. "Well, Captain of the Colonial Fleet?"

"We have more food and water. Also over there by those small trees, there are some weapons they did not collect. So we are better armed also."

"I prefer to ride in a truck than walk; I thought that was part of the plan." Lawson said by now all are looking at Kara. "Hey, is not my fault that a general came down the road."

"Hopefully Tol is ok and tells someone about us when he… revives or whatever they do." Duale said as she looks into the direction they plan to travel.

Wo looks across the road and says in a worried tone. "Let's get those weapons and leave to that camp. That metal monster might come back with friends."

They grab all the firepower left on the ground. Kara passes magazines to the group that she found them searching the bodies. So far, they have found enough weapons and ammunition for them.

Kara has found two hand grenades. Several minutes later, they all gather on the road. "The general said that way one day walk."

"Ok, let's go." Wo said. They grab their bags walking east.

.

.

The Change of the Tides.

Military reanimation section, Non Commission officer's quarters.

.

Tol as many times before erects his torso out of the thick fluid grabbing with strength the rails on the sides of the resuscitation tub. He looks around confused and a female voice says. "Welcome back, Sergeant."

"Lieutenant!" Korrely smiles as she points at her left shoulder pad. "Captain, now."

"Congratulations, Ma'am… for the pay raise."

"When was the last time we got paid, Tol?"

"I don't know about you… but I received my last electronic deposit… um? One hundred some years ago."

She smiles and says. "Get out. We have to find the crazy ones from the ship."

Tol is about to come out when he sits down again and looks at Korrely with surprise and says. "I was with them, how long I was in the scheduler system?"

"You and some others have a recycle priority… about two hours. But where are they?"

"I left them on the road… supply road number 365, in the Mies province, just about a day's walk west from the Corps HQ."

"Um? There are civilians camps allover Mies. Get out and show me on a map. We are going there."

"I hope they do not walk away from the military road. That is all criminal ring control area."

"Did you warn them!?"

"No, leaving the road was not part of the plan. I will tell you what happened and how I found them." Tol gets out, as he is helped by the medics. Korrely asks. "Did you spoke with the blond?"

"Yes, Kara… she told me that she is a descendant of one of the tribes from Kobol. Her ancestors left Kobol and settle down in twelve planets and instead of calling themselves the twelve tribes they call themselves now the twelve colonies. We did not have too much time to talk about it."

"The others where are they from?"

"From what they have gathered so far… apparently, they are from a different Terra. According to them, it looks geographically as Terra, Ma'am."

"You are the one that needs to speak with the Doctors."

"What kind of Doctors!?" Korrely smiles and says. "Not that kind, you are saner than me Tol, to talk to Doctors Ellen & Saul Tigh and their staff."

"The inventors of the re-animation process!?'

"The ones."

Two hours later Korrely and Tol are in a reception area waiting to be seen by Saul Tigh. "Doctor Tigh will see you now, follow me please." One of the staff members said and the two soldiers stand and follow her.

They reach the end of the hallway and the woman knocks on the door. "Come in!" Saul said and the aid opens the door and Korrely and Tol walk in.

Both see a large office full of books and papers spread about or in shelves. Doctor Tigh's desk its cover with a pile of papers. Saul has his back to his guests as he looks at a large chemical equation on a board on the wall. "Take a seat… just one moment."

The two soldiers seat down and Korrely examines the large computation on the board and asks. "Is that the artificial DNA formula, Doctor?" Saul slowly turns to her and smiles asking. "Yes, how do you know?"

"Before the war, I was a high school biology teacher, sir."

"You should have work for us then."

"Too boring, sir." Tol asks. "Sir, why artificial DNA it's used and not continue using natural DNA as before?"

"Ask the high school teacher." Korrely smiles and turns to Tol. "Natural DNA degrades as a new body was recreated after so many years. Artificial DNA is more durable, easy to manufacture and to assemble also retains more memory information than natural DNA. I believe it was Doctor Foster who developed artificial DNA, am I correct sir?"

"Yes she did, between the five of us, we built this system. My wife and I developed the DNA sequencer and the assembly unit as well as the scheduler. Doctor Foster the Artificial DNA process. Doctor Tyrol the hardware and engineering aspects of the system and Doctor Anders the communication reception and download systems."

"It is too bad the Alliance built a re-animation complex as well." Korrely said and Saul stays silent searching, in his memories and says. "After we found Paradeen and unilaterally we sent settlers there the Alliance was about to go to war against us. Who was he… our President then?" Korrely answers. "President Arends, he gave the secret of re-animation to the Alliance in exchange for peace and look at us now, two hundred years later."

"Oh yea, Arends… and his famous peace treaty, I remember him. He was a nice guy but he was vaporized in the first day of the war. But enough of the past, your sergeant contacted the visitors?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well Sergeant, tell me about them?"

"They are a confusing bunch. They seem to come from different areas of their society. From a planet, they call Earth. One of them speaks another language from the rest."

"What language is that?"

"Chinese, it sounded to me like a Chinleron dialect. Actually, sir, they all share many of our social facets but somehow different. Now, Kara... she is from the twelve colonies and we did not have the time to talk more. According to her, the Colonies were the twelve tribes of Kobol and they left Kobol. That is all I know. She is from the Capricornia tribe, they named their planet Caprica."

"Did they ever mention about a large ship in orbit around our Moon."

"No, sir." Abruptly Ellen opens the office door, in an unnerved tone says. "Saul, come to the information center. The automatons have taken one nuclear silo in Alliance territory!" He stands up. "What! I thought the Alliance had them under control?"

"The Alliance government have been fabricating false reports … come!"

"You two follow me." Saul said, Korrely and Tol follow the Doctors across the facility and arrive at the communication center.

Saul and Ellen look at the large table. The communication operator passes another paper to Doctor Anders and he gives it to Saul saying. "They took this silo in the central continental region in the Alliance. We just found out that the Alliance has lost 75 to 80 percent of their central territories to the automatons."

"Of course, they moved all their armies to the coastal areas for their invasion here. They left their center open. How many missiles the automatons have?"

"Two and…" "Sir our military command reports that one missile has been launched." Saul walks next to the operator and asks in desperation. "To where?"

"Space… away from the planet."

"What!? They fire it up? Those missiles can't go…" Saul's blood freezes he looks at Ellen and says in a low tone of voice as if it was the end of all. "Lunar 7… they are shooting at Lunar 7."

Ellen passes by his frozen in place husband and leans over the communication station. "Show me a tracking of Lunar 7's orbit!" The operator complies and a digital representation of Lunar 7's orbit appears with a small box with information next to satellites images.

Ellen looks at the information of the orbit and of the trajectory of the missile working the numbers in her head. "Oh, by all the elders… it will hit Lunar 7 in… 10 minutes." Korrely hits the table in anger and says. "Those bastards! That is there plan. Lunar 7 and the complexes are the only advantages we have. We can continue fighting and destroy them. Without the re-animation, the odds will be in their favor."

"Seven minutes to impact." The operator said as all watch the screen. Saul turns to Anders and says in desperation. "Disconnect all systems from Lunar 7 and bring the ground towers system online."

"But the towers… we do not have too many as before and…" "Do it, do it now all the whole system will crash!" Anders runs out of the room as Saul turns around to witness the inevitable. "Five minutes." Foster and Tyrol run into the panicked room. "What is happening?" Foster asked but Tyrol sees the screen and what it is displaying. "No, no, no…. someone has to call the defense ministry!"

"Impact!" There is an un-nerving silence in the room, all stand like statues while they watch the screen. The signal from Lunar 7 it is gone.

.

.

A Starry Night.

Somewhere along supply route number 365.

.

The Astronauts are sitting around a small fire, the group already ate, and each one has selected a spot to sleep later on. There are no clouds indicating a cold night for the castaways.

They converse as to what to do once they reach the civilian encampment. The notion of not going home it is settling slowly in their minds but no one says anything to anyone about it. Tyson looks at Wo and asks. "So… what happened to your crew?"

She looks at him, smiles looking at the ground and replies. "We were to dock on the forward section, on the dark side of the ship. The closest to the bridge as possible, the doors of the big ship were incompatible with ours. So, expecting that… the Colonel sent me out to attach with some titanium anchors points to hold our ship in tandem with the big one. As I am working… the ship left the Solar System to this one."

"So you knew this was not our Solar System?"

"At the time I thought we move around our Moon. I open the door and follow down the hallways looking for the main bridge. Saw the papers on the wall and followed them. The rest you know. I was gaining time for my crew to arrive if Ground Control in China would have told them."

Kara comes out from around one of the small mounts and says. "Sorry! I used the last roll… sorry." She seats down among her new friends all smiles. Adams looks at her and says. "So you are the lucky one… the last paper tissue, it is gone."

"Yep." Adams turns to the fire smiling as he throws a small twig he was holding. "Tell us about your people Kara?" Wo asked and Kara says. "Well, the guys I hung with were… family. I meet most of them in the different assignments posted around the fleet. Actually, I met Chief Tyrol in the Battlestar Vortex, which he is your twin brother Tyson."

"He was a Chief too?"

"When I met him he was a specialist Mech. Lee and I served during a training exercise in the Battlestar Erasmus but I knew him before that." Adams asks. "That is the guy that looks like me, how did you meet him?"

"Lee's brother and I were engaged and I met the whole family… that is all."

"So, your people lost the war with the Cylons, fought your way through space, and arrived on Earth. That is the whole storyline for Battlestar Galactica, my brother and I watched that show. I still can't understand."

Hallock adds. "That derelict did resemble the ship from the TV show. If not from seen it with my eyes and all that has happened, I would not have believed it."

"I have never seen the show." All look at Wo and she says. "It is banned in China, I have never seen it." Kara stares at Wo and then looks at Hallock and she asks him. "Married?"

"No. What about your friend Hilo, he had a family?"

"Yes, he and his wife had a baby girl named Hera."

"Umm? That name, Hera is one of the Roman gods that is a very beautiful name. Who named her?"

Kara moves her eyes away from Hallock and looks at Wo. Kara smiles and turns her face to the Chinese Captain and says. "I think she did."

Both Hallock and Wo stare at each other with their eyes open. Hallock commences to smile and Wo opens her mouth in surprise hiding her smile. "Oh no… no, I… no, not me."

"Hey look! Up there." Duale said and all look up to where she is pointing in the sky. A silent plum of light is expanding in the southern sky. All stand to see. "Someone let go a nuke in orbit." Kara said. "How do you know?" Lawson asked. "I have seen my share."

As the light dims, one by one they seat down around the fire. Adams turns to Lawson and asks. "You have been reviewing the data you got from the ship?"

"Yes, and what Kara says it is true. I found several references about President Laura Roslin also a picture and she does look like me."

"How, do you explain that Doc the resemblances?" Duale asked and the Doctor shrugs her shoulders and replies. "I have no idea, I am not a geneticist." Tyson turns to Adams and says. "Sir you told me something about memories been passed down genetically from parents to their offspring. The déjà vu sensation has been in a place that you never been there before."

"Yes but that is just a myth Chief. I told you that to calm you down in the ship."

"But even so, sir. I believe it is true and from that assumption with regards to memory recollection, we can assume also that after several generations the information stored genetically can recreate a person resembling an ancestor some generations back."

"I have seen the pictures of my grandparents, granduncles, and grandaunts. None of them look like anyone in my family nowadays, Chief." Hallock said and the Chief thinks what to say. "Lt, you are right but you and all of us have to admit of some physical trades are pass down. Now, the exact resemblance might not happen that close time wise. The advent of photography happened about 160 years ago and still, you can find pictures of famous people in our time resembling someone from the early times of photography. This may be a clue on how often this body recreation happens, maybe two or three generations apart."

Duale asks. "Chief, you are saying that only famous people have doubles in their past lineage?"

"I mean all humans. It is easy to find a past double of a famous person because we are acquainted with that famous person. I bet you if someone were to run a face recognition program against all the pictures ever taken of people, matches will appear by the hundreds if not more."

"So, if I understand you. In several generations perhaps centuries apart an individual it is born resembling or looking exactly as someone in the long genealogical tree of their past." Lawson said and the Chief points at her with a big smile leaning back. "Yes, Doc that is it… that has to be. I am the descendant of Kara's friend and between his time and mine there have been others just looking, like him and I. All of us descendants of Kara's friends."

The Doctor shakes her head as trying to calculate the laws ruling the entropic forces of genetics and says. "But what takes away the randomness of the genetic human building to recreate a modern human to an ancient ancestor?"

Hallock goes on to say deviating from the doctor's question. "The odds of us, been here in front of this campfire that it is mind bottling. We were born, went to college, then be selected for our space programs. We all arrive as far as from China and one of us from the other side of the galaxy and here we are in front of this fire. All that could not have been influenced by genetics."

"Do you believe in God, Hallock?" Kara asked. Hallock turns to her well knowing her angle of approach and answers. "That would be the only explanation to make the odds work in favor for us to be here."

"Answering the doctor's question, many skin jobs came with us to the blue planet or your Earth. I am sure; all of you carry small amounts of Cylon DNA."

All stare at her by her revelation and the Chief asks. "We are not artificial."

"You have no way to notice, I am sure your geneticists on your Earth discard any indications of artificiality in your planet population if you don't know what I know historically. Maybe that is the reason for the ancestry duplication and traces of ancestral memories among you. The Cylon genes or a trace of them are in all of you keeping the door open between my time and yours. The Cylon genes are the carriers of memories and of genealogical physical duplication. I think God did this for a reason."

"I thought your culture was polytheistic?" Lawson asked. "Yes but I have changed my mind." Adams turns to Kara and asks. "Tell me how you end up in the Galactica if you were on Earth or the blue planet."

"I said my farewell to the Admiral and the President. I walked talking with Lee. I told him that I was done with something, I do not remember what, and it was a good feeling as when you accomplish something… and then suddenly I was in the Galactica. However, all look like a dream. I was walking around the ship looking for something or someone, the sensation of completion was replaced by a sensation of longing to belong… it was solitude. It felt like a few minutes. Then something happened in one of the heads of the ship, like a vision of my friend Lee staring at me. I said Lee, or somehow said it. I walked to the old primary bridge area… someone needed help and suddenly the dream-like fog vanishes. I saw Wo running toward me and thinking she was Valerii I punched her and here we are." Wo asks. "What happened to Valerii?"

"She died before we arrived at the blue planet."

"Then why you punched me!?"

"You look as if you were up to no good and thought you were her. I knew Athena was on the blue planet. So, I thought you weren't her." Kara pauses and looks up, and says with moist eyes. "I feel sorry for Valerii, she wanted to be back with us. But for shooting the Admiral we … we rejected her. When she died I could tell she wanted to amend and return to us. That feeling of abandonment it is what I felt roaming the Galactica alone."

Kara commences to shed some tears and she wipes them. Smiles and says. "Where these came from?"

"From your heart, Kara. You miss your friends do you?" Lawson asked Kara replies with a broken voice she avoids all the faces looking nervously up and down. "Yes… I do, and I want to be with them but I do not know how?" Adams pokes Kara on her shoulder. She looks at him smiling and Kara asks. "Why do you do that for?"

"Making sure you are not a ghost."

"More like guiding angel, if you ask me." Lawson said and Kara smiles again. Adams goes on to say. "We have a long walk, we need to sleep, and because of someone we have to use leaves when we go to the bathroom."

Adams looks at Kara she gently pushes him and all smile then the Chief says in a jovial tone. "Be careful when going to the bathroom and don't grab poison oak."

Hallock replies. "Uuuuu...You are harsh Chief."

One by one stand up to go to sleep.

.

.

The Sit-Rep.

.

Kara has been asleep for a while, she slowly wakes up, but she keeps her eyes closed just trying to relax. She can discern that must be morning already due to the soft light on her closed eyelids. Someone says. "Kara wake up you are late."

"Umm, Captain Adams a few minutes more."

"Frack me, Captain, Wake up! The Admiral wants to see you!" She turns and opens her eyes and she is speechless now noticing she is on her bunk in the Galactica. "Lee..?"

Several voices are heard some are laughing and one says. "Come on Starbuck, you been asleep longer than me. Wake her ass up sir." Kara looks toward the voice. "Kat!? Is that you?"

"No, is your worst nightmare." Kara rapidly seats on the bed and she is speechless. "Get your uniform on and report to the C.I.C. The Admiral wants to talk to you."

"So I was dreaming… I was Dreaming." She smiles and hugs Lee and then hugs all her companions. "Oh, God… it was a dream."

"What is wrong with you?" Hilo asked. "Nothing, just nothing." Lee is walking out of the door and says. "Welcome to the land of the awaken at least for a while. Get your ass up to see the old man."

"Yes, sir"

A few minutes later, she is walking through the Galactica's hallways. All is as usual, the people in Colonial uniforms, the noises even the almost imperceptible humming of the engines all a welcome sign that she is home.

She is in a highly cheerful mood. Kara arrives at the C.I.C, looks about and she feels energized as she steps in. The Admiral is at the situation control table reviewing documents.

Kara walks up to him and salutes. "Captain Thrace reporting sir."

"As you were, Captain. You are a happy soul, today It is good to see you awake?"

"Yes, sir. I am as happy as a fish in water, sir."

"But I am not, the situation report on the planet it is, to say the least dire. You better be on your best game."

"Sir…? What planet?"

Gaeta gives some papers to the Admiral and he says. "Sir, the Cylons have broken through the lines through a major offensive. The satellite it is lost."

"Thank you, Lieutenant, that is all." Kara notices Gaeta's leg and she says. "Wait… your leg?"

"What about my leg?"

"Nothing… wait, you are dead?" The Admiral looks straight at Kara and says. "That is all Mr. Gaeta."

"Yes, sir." Kara looks at the Admiral somewhat confused and asks. "Sir, what is going on?"

"The Cylons are on the move, killing all humans. You have to find the original fives, put them on the ship already docked to the Galactica, and send them toward Colonial space."

"Sir?"

"If Colonel Tigh and the others four do not reach the Cylons during the first Cylon war, there would be no armistice. On the second war, there would not have been a Galactica to save what was left of humankind, anywhere. Earth would have been found years later with what it is left of the Terran colonists on Earth."

"Ah… Sir, Terran colonists... wait... is Paradeen, Earth? "

"Terra and Earth are one and the same in different locations of space."

"Admiral, Earth, and Terra are the same but how?"

"Time is what makes them different. Terra is older than Earth"

"I don't understand."

"You have to lead humanity to destruction for humankind to survived, Kara."

"What!?"

"You have to find us, Kara. We have to reach the Cylons in the Colonies." She looks up hearing Colonel Tigh and sees the final five looking down at her from the upper platform in the C.I.C. Samuel says. "Tell Captain Adams that the Cylons are on the move looking for his Earth. Some of them want to ruin humanity others do not."

Kara bends putting her hands on her head and cries saying. "I want to stay… please; I want to stay with all of you! Sam, please tell them!" The Admiral grabs her by her arms and in a livid tone says. "Captain, do your duty and do not come back until you are done! Go to sleep and get off my ship!"

.

.

On the road to destruction.

Somewhere along supply route number 365.

.

Adams is up and walks around the small camp. He sees Tyson packing his bag, Adams notices that Kara is not around. "Chief where is Kara?"

"She told me she was going to the mount behind those trees to scout; she took a rifle with her."

"Ok, thanks." Adams walks toward where Tyson indicated and he sees Kara in the prone position over the mount looking toward the east. He climbs and she looks at him and turns again her attention to the east. "Where you got those binoculars?"

"From one of the dead soldiers."

"What have you seen?"

"I was looking at a large plume of yellow smoke toward the, east. I hope it is not where we are going."

"I hope not but…" The distance echo of artillery to the west interrupts Adams. Several more detonations are heard to the east and are nonstop. Kara stares at Adams and asks. "Do you believe in angels?" He is surprised by the unexpected question and he smiles then answers. "Yes, I believe there is a God and he has angels working for him."

"So… any message that the angels bring or things they do, is from a divine commission?"

"Of course, but keep in mind, God as an opposition and he has angels too."

"How do you know, which one is which?"

"By the message they bring, if is not to exalt God or God's plans they are not from God."

"But how about if God… sends an angel to do harm, how do you know it is from God."

"Yes he has done that but there is a reason behind it, a reason that at the end it will be self-evident as to save many completing God's divine plan for salvation."

"So… sometimes God, would do that? Send a messenger to do something as to kill billions?"

"Ah… well, I do not know about Billions… but that is an aspect of God, we humans do not like to see or admit he has… anger."

"I have a message for you."

"A what?"

"The Cylons are on the move and are looking for Earth."

"They are coming here!?" Kara shakes her head as she rolls her eyes and says. "Not this one. Yours."

"My Earth! Why!?"

"Because all humanity it is gathered in one place and that is your Earth. Apparently, they are in discord among them, don't ask me why is that. But they are searching for your Earth."

"We are ready!" Lawson said looking up from the bottom of the mount. Kara stands up and goes down. Adams is looking at her with his eyes wide open in surprise as she walks down the mount.

To him, Kara looks sad this morning about something but she is calm at peace with whatever is worrying her. "Let's go Adams; we still have ways to go." Lawson notices something wrong with Kara and she puts her arm around the Colonial Captain, not much as a friend but as mother comforting a daughter.

Already at noon, they had walked a good distance from where they stayed the night before. They have been silent in some parts of the trip and in others, they had to stop to laugh at one of the Chief's jokes but all are always on the lookout for trouble.

In several occasions, the group had stopped to rest and Kara finds the highest point close by and scouts ahead with the binoculars. Once more, they stop to rest and Duale says looking toward the west. "They have been firing that artillery since this morning."

"We are moving away from that noise, that is what it counts." Lawson said as she seats down.

"I will scout again." Kara said and Adams walks to her. "I'll go with you."

The two walk away to a small hill and as they walk Wo says. "I think those two spend too much time scouting." Hallock goes to say. "Hey, leave them alone, worst would be you want to hang around me."

Wo takes a drink of water, wipes her mouth with her forearm and replies. "I don't know. I have not found someone to hang with, that does not smell."

"Oh, really. When was the last time you took a shower, Captain Wo?" Hallock said as he smiles. Wo replies. "I have not gone to the bathroom yet, I can tell you have."

"I have used one of my socks, so isn't me." Hallock looks at the Chief. "Not me, both sucks are gone." Lawson stands up and smells the air. "Wait, Captain Wo is right… it smells like rotten eggs."

Up in the hill, Kara scans the view and sees a large area about nine or ten miles away covered with portable buildings. Smoke it is raising from some of them. The buildings and the ground are covered with a yellow mist.

She passes the binoculars to Adams and she says. "We are too late."

"I see bodies around the buildings, all cover with that powder."

"That powder is a chemical agent. I smell it all the way over here."

"What!"

"Calm down Captain that is blister agent and not a biological agent. The smell is the Sun evaporating a sulfuric compound in it."

"We have to tell the…" Kara takes the binoculars from Adams and she looks at some movement below and says. "Our friend is back."

"What friend?"

"Look at the south side about a quarter mile from the compound." Adams takes the binoculars he looks and says. "Cylons!"

"Look at the big one with the hole in the chest plating, looks familiar?"

"Yes, that is the one that got away from the ambush… but they all look worn down. It is hard for some to move about."

"No humans to repair them… um?"

"What?"

Kara turns to Adams and explains her thoughts. "These humans have an advantage over them, they, recycle to life. No matter how many humans are killed they return. The only problem for humans is that they return at the complex miles away from the front lines. I am sure it has been a slow process to counter-attack this Cylons. That general killed the wounded for them to be back in healthy bodies quicker, is because they are desperate for manpower to fight. I think those explosions to the west is a human offensive. Maybe?"

"So the main objective for the machines is to take the complex."

"I am sure it is very well guarded and the closer the Cylons get to it the easier is for the humans to be moved to the battle been closer… no, these machines aren't stupid." She pauses to think says. "Tol mention something, about a satellite in orbit called Lunar 7?"

"That woman, her boss mentioned that to me. It is like… the satellite sends back the soul to the complex."

"Do you remember the bright light in the sky last night?" Adams' eyes open wide realizing what was the light show in the sky and says. "So… the Cylons knock it out, last night and they are the ones on the offensive."

Automatic fire hits the edge of the hill and both take cover. Kara with a rapid movement looks over and takes cover. "About ten small ones are running to our left, the big guy took a shot at us and is coming this way with about five small ones." They rapidly come down from the hill and run back. "Everyone lets go back!"

"What was that!?" Lawson asked. Kara replies. "About ten of the machines are coming this way." Wo points up and says. "Why don't we do our stand among those rocks?"

Adams walks to her and says. "Are you insane? Those things are killers, with this weapons you…" Kara opens up in full automatic up the road and hits two of the bipedal machines. They go down as they smoke through the holes Kara made on them.

"How, in the hell they got here so fast!?" Adams yelled Kara answers as she moves toward the rocks. "They are machines they run fast or they had a security team up here, how the frack I would know."

Everyone grabs their bags and follow Kara up the hill toward the rocks. Hallock and the Chief help Lawson as the rest move facing the road.

They reach the large group of boulders at the top of the hill and Kara positions them setting a 360 degrees perimeter of coverage and they wait.

After a few minutes of desperate silence, Tyson asks. "How do we know these weapons will do something to them?" Kara replies. "I took two out. I am sure the rounds are made of something heavy to penetrate their plating." Adams sees Kara pulling something from her cargo pocket and puts them on the ground next to her. "What are those?"

"Grenades, for the big guy."

"That guy is as protected as a tank."

"A what?"

"An armored vehicle."

"Oh, the bigger they are the harder they fall."

"How do you know that?"

"It is an old saying, I guess you know it."

"Ssssh, what is that noise." Duale asked and all take a pick down toward the road.

The tops of the trees are been move as if a bulldozer was moving under the foliage. Some trees topple. Kara goes down and says to Adam. "I think they were waiting for the big guy."

"With these weapons, we can handle the human size ones… but him, we need rockets."

"No… actually a good triad player, cover me."

"What!?"

Kara moves out from behind cover down the slope to the right of the large armor bipedal unit. Adams moves to where she was and covers her from behind the rock.

The behemoth stops then tracers hit the rocks covering the defenders from the left of the unseen heavy armor unit.

"I am sure they know we are on the hill but not where, if we shoot the big one will pummel us from down there." Hallock said and all wait for the enemy to come up. Kara disappears from Adams sight and he gets upset. "Dammed, that woman is crazy." He follows her.

Kara is at the edge of the road and looks toward where she is going. Several human size infantry units are line up at the edge of the road firing at the rocks above. She commences to move to the right down the road among the foliage and away from the mechanical units.

Kara knows that the human size automatons are trying to make the defenders open fire disclosing their positions, so the big one could finish them up with its heavy ordinance.

She stops and is ready to cross. "Kara." Adams calls in a low tone; she turns and sees him approaching. "What are you doing here?"

"I am covering you."

"Uff! You could get us kill."

"So do you."

"Follow me."

The two cross the road, now they are on the same side where the armor unit is at. They move up the road inside the concealment of vegetation until the lower section of the behemoth comes into view.

"He has two Cylons, doing guard." Adams said. "You stay here when I start shooting take those two down."

"Ok."

Kara moves around and behind the large military unit and waits. Out on the road, the infantry units commence moving up the hill in a line formation. Tyson and Hallock open fire, Wo moves to their position and takes aim at the aggressors.

The rocket pods of the armor unit rise up along the back to sit on its shoulders and he slightly moves his torso as to aim. Kara opens fire on the gigantic metallic predator.

Adams shoots at the two infantry units. He disables one and the second return fire toward him. Kara stands up runs closer to the large armor unit yelling from the top of her longs.

She has one grenade in hand pin pulled and holding the safety handle. The behemoth turns its torso around to face Kara. She shoots at the small infantry unit distracting it from Adams and the Air Force Captain finishes the infantry unit.

The rotating automatic weapons of the metallic giant engage but Kara has moved inward pass the sectors of fire of the rotating weapons, just in time. Kara is face to face with her Goliath. She jumps and puts the grenade through the hole in the chest plating of the enemy.

She runs under him as an expanding flash of flames escape through every opening of the upper torso plating. The giant sways as thick black smoke come from under its upper torso protection and fall to its side and all the ammunition in it goes off. Adams and Kara run up to the road and they get behind the advancing enemy units moving toward their friends.

They open fire over the enemies moving up the hill and between the crossfire from above and below they finish them off. Adams and Kara move up pointing their weapons about looking for any moving targets.

From on top of the hill, Hallock stands up and waves yelling. "Hurry!" They hear Lawson yelling as well. "Captain come here, hurry!"

Kara takes off running followed by Adams right behind her. They reach the top and see Duale leaning over Tyson on the ground. "What happen!?" Adams asked. "The Chief got hit in the chest!" Lawson said while opening the first aid bag.

Wo rips his undershirt and Lawson treats his wound. All gather around him. Tysons eyes are watery he moves his legs as a defiant gesture to death, his hands tremble. The Chief holds Kara's hand and says. "If… if you get to… see my ancestor… again, tell him that… the Tysons have prospered. To be proud of..."

"No, Chief… you tell him that." Tyson slowly eases his struggle as his head gently turns to one side, eyes open. Kara raises his hand and looks at him. "Chief, Chief!"

Lawson checks his pulse and she seats down. All seat down around his body. They stare at the lifeless body in disbelieve. Duale looks down and cries. Lawson holds her and Kara continues to hold the motionless hand of the Chief. The energy of the group it is ripped away from each one.

That night all gather around the grave of Chief Tyson, a pile of rocks marks the resting place.

Adams takes a big breath and says. "I didn't know him that long but I could tell he was a good man, dedicated to his duties… I am sure; you know if he has a family?" Duale says. "Yes, a wife and two sons."

"I hope, we could tell them about the Chief." The group bows their heads and in a solemn act of silence, they say their goodbyes. One by one walk away and each takes their bags getting ready for their walk ahead.

After the ceremony, they are back on the road. This time their pace is slow going down the hill and once at the bottom they turn east on the road. In the distance, the glare of explosions, cover the horizon to the south. Duale looks in that direction and says. "I think the fight has extended inland in the south."

"Do you hear that?" Lawson said as she looks up the hillside to their left. "What?" Hallock asked and Duale replies. "I hear it… it sounds like, turbines."

Adams and Kara walk back to the group. Adams looks up to where all are looking as he approaches Wo. "What is it?" Wo answers in an almost monotone voice. "I think… those are some kind of aircraft. It's hard to tell which way they are coming from."

The echo of the turbines bounces over the geographical features and all look in all directions. They are trying to discern the distance and direction of the noise.

The noise, like an explosion, gets louder to their right and all see two dark silhouettes coming from behind the hills in the east almost on top of them hovering over the road.

The aircraft turn on floodlights over the group. All run to the side of the road and prepare for another fight. The aircrafts similar to an old HH-52 Seaguard helicopter but without any blades hover in front of them and through a loudspeaker they hear a voice. "Captain Thrace, Captain Adams… is me Sergeant Tol. I came to pick you guys up."

The group comes out of concealment and wave. Kara walks forward and gestures with her arm for the strange aircraft to land. One of the aircraft lands on the road and Tol comes out. "Get in!"

All run to him and one by one, all enter. Adams smiles and seats down then Kara seats next to him. His smile vanishes as he looks forward. "Hello, Captain Adams."

"Korrely!"

"Don't worry Captain, I believe you. Actually, my whole chain of command up to the President wants to know, how you can help us."

The aircraft lifts off joining the one above "Where are we going?" Lawson asked and Korrely replies. "To the Complex, it is about 700 miles south-east from here."

.

.

The fear of a long journey.

Landing pad 6, north side of the underground complex mountain.

.

The two aircraft land on a busy landing pad. Many VTOL aircraft of all classes land or take off, many are been service and others are loading troops. The new arrivals to this world disembark escorted by Tol, Korrely and their soldiers. The security for the guests is heavy.

All walk into the hangar as five figures in long coats wait inside. Saul walks to Adams and raises his voice so to compete with the engine noise of the pad outside. "Are you the leader of the group!?"

"Yes!"

"Follow me!"

The large group walks into a hallway. The soldiers surround the guests guarding them as all walk deeper into the complex. They take a large elevator platform and without the loud noise of the aircraft, Saul turns to Adams. "Where do you come from?"

Adams takes a big breath dismissing his surprise of seen Colonel Thomas exact double and replies. "Earth."

"Earth? This planet original name was Earth, now we call it Terra."

"It is hard for me to understand it but… my planet is geographically exactly as this planet. I don't know if we time travel to the past or to the future… or an unknown space disturbance to my science has made this possible. We are from Earth…" Lawson tapping on his shoulder distracts Adams. He turns and sees her with a face as if she just saw a ghost and she says. "Is that Chief Tyson?"

Adams turns and sees Doctor Tyrol and he says. "One of our companions looks just like one of us… actually, they both could be twins." Tyrol walks to Adams and asks. "Where is he?"

"The Cylons ambushed us and he was killed." Saul asks. "Cylons, who? Is that how you call the automatons on your planet?"

"You could say that… but we do not have automatons." Tyrol asks. "How long ago he died?"

"About six hours ago." Tyrol turns to Saul. "Sir, I need to check in the scheduler." Saul looks at Korrely and asks. "Where did you found them?"

"They were in the Mies province about one hundred miles west of Talfa City." The elevator stops and the heavy doors open. Tyrol runs out and Doctor Anders yells. "Mies province is under towers 309 and 310!" Tyrol says. "I know."

Doctor Anders turns and then notices that the blond woman in the new arrivals group as moved silently toward him to stand next to his right side. Her face is tilted slightly to the floor but her eyes are looking up fixed on him. "Hi… my name is Kara." He extends his hand, "I am Doctor Anders." She extends hers and asks. "What is your first name?"

"Samuel." Both smile and Kara says. "I like Sam better." As the exchange of words between Samuel and Kara was taking place the rest walked outside the only two left on the platform are the two soul mates. Adams turns. "Kara lets go."

"Hi… duty calls, again."

"I'll walk with you."

"I would like that."

Although this is the first time that Samuel sees Kara, he feels a peace and a connection to her. Kara is silently reaching out to him but she holds back. Both walk slowly next to each other. The large group once again renews their walk once Kara and Samuel join them into a larger hallway. They arrive at the research labs and Saul turns to Korrely. "Captain, keep your soldiers here but you and the sergeant come in."

"Yes, sir." Only thirteen walked in. They walk into the top research room and at the end. They take one flight of stairs down. When Adams and his crew enter, they all stop at the door with their mouths open. Adams walks forward. "The X-16B… how it was in pieces!?"

Saul explains. "We can reconstruct equipment as well. When this ship was scheduled for re-construction the system set the assembly of it here. This is not where military equipment it's sent. I saw the blueprints and the data of it. I then knew this was not any ship."

"Would it fly?"

"Of course it will. It is an exact replica of the original. We figured out some things but we do not have a full understanding to fly it. We need your help."

"What is the help you want, we are… explores."

"The other ship, the one you came in, we have seen it has weapons. We need you to contact your friends up there to stop a mayor nuclear offensive from the automatons."

"There is no one on board." Kara said and Ellen asks. "Someone is maneuvering the ship, there has to be someone."

"It was only us."

"Are you the one from the twelve tribes?" Saul asked and Kara smiles replying. "We stopped been tribes, I am from the Colonies, sir."

"So you all left Kobol after all. So… the big ship left your Colonies, traveled to their planet. Picked them up and came here… but why?"

"I do not know why but… I do know this, Earth it is going to die. It has to, so a new one can be reborn."

"Say what!" Saul said and all stare at her in disbelieve. Adams asks. "How… how… what did you just told these people. That they all have to die!?"

"Not all… I understand now. The Galactica is here to get most of these people out. But you and your crew have to return to your Earth and warn your people about the Cylons." Saul steps closer to Kara, his eyes reflect his anger, and he says. "If not for whom you are, I would have sent you to the brig just for saying that!"

"That sounds familiar… but what I just said it is the truth. I realized now that this is my past. I have been already here after this war, at least two thousand years after. This place was or will be a wasteland. Only fruitless vegetation and radiation covered the planet. You have to leave now!"

Samuel gets closer to Kara and asks her. "But, to where?" She looks at him, small tears come down, and she hugs him as she has many times before. "Anywhere Sam…but here, please, come with me… all of you."

From the speakers, a voice is heard calling Saul with a trembling tone and says. "Doctor… The automatons in the Alliance, sir… they have captured all there silos and are getting ready to launch."

"By all the elders… they launch and we launch." The technician using the speakers calls back and in a more distress tone yells. "Sir! They have launched several and are getting ready to launch more!" Kara looks at Samuels' eyes and says. "I failed you… I failed all of you."

Tyrol is walking in pushing a wheelchair with Chief Tyson in it. Both men are smiling obliviously of the dark been cast from above. Lawson and Hallock are the first to greet him. "I have a new body, would you believe that."

Ellen hugs Saul as Foster runs to Tyrol and both kiss. Tyson asks. "What is going on?" Adams and Wo are next to him and Wo replies. "War has caught up with these people and us with them."

"No… you do not have to suffer such fate." Saul said as he walks with Ellen still holding to him. Adams asks. "How sir?"

"It will take several minutes for the missiles to arrive. You can still leave. This assembly chamber has an access above. I can open the access and you can leave, with one condition."

"Ok."

"Take my wife with you and my colleagues, Korrely, and her men."

"Well… ah, we can do that, if the weight is not that much."

"No Saul… I am not going if you don't; I want to be with my husband!"

"Someone has to stay and receive the re-births… I have to stay."

Around the Moon, the Galactica is coming from behind the lunar horizon. She fires her stabilizers engines and jumps to FTL appearing in a geocentric orbit above the complex. Her dorsal plating buckles and section plates dislodge venting atmosphere into space.

Galactica compensates for the explosive decompression along her starboard side. She rolls turning her hull toward the planet. The bow and ventral hull batteries cannons aim toward the planet below and all open with a shower of flack.

Back in the bay, preparations are underway to launch the X-16B. One of the technicians runs to Saul. "Sir… sir, the big ship! It is shooting down Alliance missiles at their re-entry… headed this way."

"From the Moon!?"

"No, sir… it is in a geocentric orbit above the complex."

Kara overheard the news and walks to Saul. "That is impossible! There is no one up there. Even to input a firing solution in the battery's fire control computer you need someone." Saul says with a tone of relieve. "I guess you are not alone, whoever is up there bought us at least an hour, unless they run out of ammo, will have more than enough time."

The technician replies. "Sir, the ship has only shot down the missiles targeting the complex. Impacts are been reported all over the western regions on this continent. The Central and southern continents have been hit severely. That ship is only protecting us."

"Have we launched!?"

"Yes sir, the President authorized a full retaliatory counterattack. That ship is not targeting ours on their way to Alliance territories."

"Why not… why not shoot down all the missiles, that ship can stop this pointless war!" Saul yelled in anger while he is looking at Kara and she replies. "I don't know! Frack Colonel, you had made me angry so many times. Why don't you fracking get on the ship go up there and talk to them!"

As Saul looks down holding his anger, Kara looks at Ellen holding to Saul and Kara quickly smiles at her and then turns to Saul with a cross aptitude. "You want to stop the war! Go yourself and talk to them… Doctor!"

"The hades I'll will." Saul turns angry to the world walks toward the ship. Ellen turns to Kara and without saying a word, Ellen moves her mouth to say… thank you. Adams and Hallock with the help of Wo and some of the technicians disconnect the houses servicing liquid hydrogen and deuterium to the ship.

Lawson, Duale, and Tyson get the engines running and the systems online. Adams yells. "We are almost ready."

All the technicians that were part of the restoration process of the ship, Korrely, Tol and their soldiers with the final five seat anywhere they can.

Adams and Hallock do their pre-flight checks as Tyson warms the plasma containers. Adams turns and says. "Everyone hold on!" The ship's VTOL engines expel a white concentrated constant rush of plasma and the ship moves up the vertical tunnel.

It surfaces from the mountain and the two pilots raise the nose opening the main engines at full throttle. The X-16B accelerates, all seating on the deck in the back are pushed against each other by the accelerating ascend of the ship. In a matter of minutes, they are in orbit.

"Kara!" Adams yelled she struggles to move, now that all in the back are floating about. She moves to the front and stops her flight by holding to the pilot's seats. "What you guys need?"

"Guide us where to land on your ship."

"Ok, go to the port landing bay, the same one you guys landed before. But this time land in the last landing service elevator, It is big enough for this size of a ship."

"Then?"

"We put the suits and walk out. The EVA room next to that landing pad it is bigger and has more suits."

"Ok."

Adams and Hallock follow Kara's intrusions; they enter the landing bay as Kara points exactly where to land. The X-16B gently touches the pad and lands. Suddenly the elevator gravity tie downs are active holding the ship to it.

The platform goes down taking the ship to the lower bay.

The door of the forward launch section opens and Kara says. "Fly forward, in there." Adams and Hallock look at each other and Hallock asks. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, go." The ship lifts and Kara says. "Watch out the clearing of the overhead is fifty feet."

"Thank you." Adams said. As soon as they enter the forward section the hangar airlock door close behind them. Adams lands the ship and gravity it is restored in the large compartment.

Adams commences to shut down the engines and Hallock asks in a worried tone. "Sir, are you sure… shut down?"

"Where are we going from here?" Lawson is looking at her instruments and says. "There is an atmosphere outside, 14.000 psi and rising." Hallock taps Adams' forearm and he points at the instruments. "Sir, look at the barometric altimeter… it is moving."

"So… they are pumping an atmosphere, for us to come out."

"Hey! I need to talk to the people in charge. Lives depend…" Saul is interrupted by the sensation of the ship's compartment elongating and then returning to its normal dimensions. A small temblor it is felt in the ship, the X-16B rocks side to side and slides forward until the unexpected tremor stops.

"What in… what is going on!?" Saul asked Kara turns around and says. "Let's get out. We have to go to the C.I.C."

"To where?" Korrely asked Kara as she walks among the people to the exit. She stops before going into the service tunnel and says to Samuel. "Please come with me." Kara has treated him, with affection. He does not mind and answers. "Yes, sure."

One by one all come out of the ship Adams been the last. All look about and Korrely says. "There are hardly any lights." As if she was asking, all the lights in the bay are turned on. All are startled and Tol yells. "Form a perimeter around the ship!" The soldiers run around and under the hull of the X-16B forming a defensive area around the ship. Korrely moves some of the soldiers in other positions around the bay.

The bulkheads, the overhead, and deck are cover with a thin green film of translucent paint. It covers everything even it can be seen in between narrow small spaces. Saul turns to Korrely. "Captain, bring four of your soldiers with us, we are going upstairs and talk to this people."

"Yes, sir."

"This ship is empty." Kara said and Saul replies. "Apparently not. Show us the way to this C.I.C of yours."

"This way." Saul commences to walk and Ellen follows him, he turns. "No honey you stay." She ignores him, keeps on walking, and stops next to Kara and Ellen crosses her arms looking at her husband. "Well? Make me stay."

"Ok, you three come with us, Captain come as well leave your sergeant here in charge."

"Yes, sir."

"We are going as well." Adams said. "Ok, let's see our hosts."

They follow Kara into the main body of the ship; they walk through zigzagging corridors and several metal stairs. As they walk, they noticed the lights in some sections flickering and in others are out.

Some sections have sealed automatically to protect the rest of the ship from decompression. Kara has to divert from the direct route she is accustom to the C.I.C. Adams turns to Lawson and says. "Now with the lights on, I can tell this ship is in really bad shape."

"One hundred and some thousand years around the Sun will do that."

"You just said, one hundred thousand years?" Doctor Foster asked overhearing the conversation. Lawson slows down to be by Tory's side. "That is our estimate. We still don't know how Kara has been here for all that time."

"Has she told you?'

"She doesn't know."

Kara stops by the C.I.C. door. The glass of the door it is gone, she looks into the dark room, and she sees as far as the hallway lights go into the room. Kara turns the wheel to open the door but it is hard to turn.

Adams and Samuel help her and slowly the wheel turns. She pushes hard to open as the hinges make a sound of metal grinding on metal. She slowly walks in. "Hello." She says, hoping to hear anyone.

A voice of someone, anyone of her family, the ones that no matter how much troubles they had among themselves and with her she has not stopped missing them. She continues to walk in and one by one her guests enter and move about the C.I.C.

Adams looks about as he walks stepping on small broken pieces of glass and says. "This place is a wreck and long gone abandon." Saul and Ellen look about Ellen walk to the Command table at the center of the room. Then she looks up. "What is up there, on that platform?"

Kara turns to Samuel and she replies while looking at him. "Nothing but good time memories as well as bad ones, there is nothing more up there." Saul speaks for the first time since he entered and asks. "Who controls this ship?"

Suddenly the few lights that work come on and slowly the Dradis array screens from above the command table commence moving down. Some of the screens come on and Colonel Tigh and Ellen are seen in the screens.

Kara can tell that both are in their room. The Colonel in the screens says. "I am in Command, Saul… I remember the day I like you walked in the C.I.C of the Galactica for the first time. I am sure Starbuck… Kara Thrace is with you as well as Captain Adams from Earth… go ahead say it, I know what you are about to say."

"What the Frack is this… a joke!?" The image smiles and says "What the Frack is this… a joke!?"

Saul commences to walk around the C.I.C. and the image on the screen says. "Don't look there is no one but all of you in here. I am recording this a few hours before leaving the Galactica to the blue planet Kara found for us. By the time, you see this recording my beloved and I will be just dust under some rock there."

"But there are billions of lives that this ship can save!"

"I am sure by now you are saying something about saving the people of Terra. They all died from the fruitless war. The automatons broke down after years of neglect. Terra is a dead planet by now. You are the only survivors and the only hope of saving humankind. We are the ones with the plan all along."

"The Hades, you are talking about!?"

"By now you are asking about the plan… with colorful metaphors. You, Ellen, Galen, Samuel, and Tory have to board a freighter ship docked on the starboard side of the Galactica, airlock 5. Kara knows where. Download your selves in the scheduler system we built in the freighter and freeze your bodies for the trip to the Colonies…" "But why!?"

"Honey… he is a recording, listen." Saul looks up again and this time pays attention.

"… While in the scheduler your memories will be altered to just remember five equal parts of information on how to construct the resurrection system and the location of Captain Adams Earth, which by the way you already know. Also for later on how to remember who we are by a song that Samuel composed long ago.

Ellen will remember her part consciously after you kill her. This must happen for us to build the machine in the freighter. We have been setting this up since Ellen return from the Cylons. She will collect the information from each of us. You as us will take turns constructing the machine. However, the most important and above all, the five of you have to make their way into the cargo ship now. You will create a program similar to the Cylon digital virus that almost killed us.

This computer virus has been controlling the Galactica in your present. So, that later Captain Adams and his crew could board the ship and bring you all here, to this moment in time."

"Why?" Adams asks but looks around realizing he is asking a recording. "You must be asking why by now, Captain Adams… why, it is to bring all of you together, seen this recording, at the moment you are in.

You five have to guide the surviving humans from the Colonies to Earth and they most arrive. Saul the humans from Terra during your time are already on Captain Adams Earth, the space coordinates for Paradeen are the same as Adams Earth as well as the blue planet below me as I am recording this.

Two identical Earths and on her three different human civilizations, with a Cylon mixed… the whole of humankind returning to one planet this is the doing of some powerful intelligent force. I say is God."

Colonel Tigh, pauses looks down and says. "We have set all this well knowing that somehow the Galactica not only will travel through space but time… To this day, we do not know how but it will take place. The only explanation it is God's doing, as simple as that and his guiding star have been Starbuck... yes you Kara."

The Colonel pauses again and then says. "Captain Adams, once the freighter departs the Galactica will take you home…. Goodbye, Saul… Ellen." The screens go dark. Kara turns to Adams and she says. "The Cylons are searching for your Earth in your time. They are coming."

"Come to my Earth?" Adams said to Saul. He turns to Adams and replies. "I understood my message, Captain. Humankind will be extinct if we don't go to Kara's Colonies. So… the Saul Tigh in the recording is my future and you Captain are the future."

"I still do not understand. Why the machines hate us so much?" Lawson asked Saul turns to her and replies. "The machines do not hate, they calculate and they reached the conclusion that we are a bunch of greedy self-center creatures. I heard the message the automatons broadcast, why they turned on us and they are right. Even our own creations end up fearing us to the point that they took arms against us. It is that dark side in each of our hearts that destroys all of that around us and they saw themselves destroyed has pawns... proxies of our hate to other humans."

Lawson shakes her head in a negative motion and says. "Humanity has created good and beautiful things, I have seen people helping people… compassion, love and we are sentient creatures with so many positives to give. We are not mindless creatures."

"My world it is a scorched wasteland because we can turn in mindless selfish creatures. Yet, we are offered chances one time after another… from the potential of good you described that we never develop. We have to stop this cycle somehow."

"Honey… what are you saying?"

"We are going to the Colonies, if this ship is traveling through time, Captain Adams and his crew they are the children of the Colonies and of those from Terra before we started to become… artificial. Kara's people need to survive or all of humankind in the universe will vanish."

"What about us?" Korrely asked Adams replies. "I guess you and your soldiers are coming with us, to our Earth."

"Kara, show us the way to airlock 5."

"Yes, Doctor." Once again, the group follows Kara. This time they go up toward the starboard side. Kara guides them through the sections that are not exposed to the vacuum of space. Duale goes to say. "If not for Kara guiding us we would be lost in this maze…" Duale stops abruptly and stares at a door.

All noticed and Kara asks. "What is wrong back there?" Kara walks to her and Lawson is next to Duale trying to find out why she stopped. Duale turns to Kara and asks. "This room… what is in it?"

Kara gets close to the door and replies. "Crew quarters, for staff personnel… oh, my." Kara's blood freezes seen the roster of the occupants that once lived there. Duale opens the door and Adams stops her. "Hey, we have to go."

"One minute sir. Kara who lived here, I was here, in… this sad place, something bad happened?"

"A good friend lived here, her name was Anastasia Dualla." Duale smiles and says. "Anastasia, like my grandmother. This is her locker?"

"Yes." Duale opens it and looks inside. "It is empty… why?"

"She died and her husband collected all her belongings."

"Not all." Duale reaches in and gets a ring. She looks at it as she wipes it. "Pretty." She is about to put it back in when Kara holds her hand and says. "I don't know how that ring got back in there but something tells me that… she would have liked you to have it."

"Why?"

"To keep it in the family." Duale eyes open wide and looks at the ring. "Come on, Duale… the ring is yours. We have to take these guys upstairs." Duale looks in the dusty mirror her reflection and gently touches her face and says. "She looked like me?"

"Yes."

"Who was her husband?"

"A good man that… didn't knew what he had. Let's go."

"Hey! What is the holdup?" Saul said irritated Kara says to Duale. "No wonder he always pissed me off." Once outside she passes the group and says. "Let's go before his elbow starts to itch."

"What?"

Kara walks ahead after a few minutes they reach the airlock. A large metal plate hangs from a chain around the lock wheel of the door. Kara wipes it and she reads. "Do not open, malfunctioning airlock. Um? Orders from Colonel Tigh and the maintenance inspector was Chief Tyrol. What a surprise… you guys were busy doing all this and no one noticed, wow."

Kara opens the airlock and she inspects the seal on the outside door connecting to the freighter ship. "It is a good seal."

She opens the door and opens the hatch of the freighter. All enter into the dark hallway the lights come on. The freighter is in way better conditions than the Galactica is. Kara leads them to the small bridge where the lights are on already. "What now?" Saul asked as they look about the bridge.

Ellen walks to one of the control panels. "This is working, all of it." The large screen at the rear of the bridge turns on, this time is Ellen Tigh in the foreground as the Colonel, looks into the camera from behind his wife, and she says. "If you can see me it is because Ellen spoke. The sleeping area is in cargo hold 5, all you have to do is to enter the chambers marked for each then all the systems will come online automatically.

Who is not going can't be on the ship when we all go to sleep. The ship will detach and the Galactica will take the rest to Earth. Good luck. From the bridge follow the painted yellow line to cargo hold 5." The screen goes dark and all look at each other. Saul says. "Well, I think this is goodbye."

"Wait a minute! How do you two know the big ship will go to Earth?" Wo asked and Saul replies. "We probably set all up for the big ship to return."

"My question is… ok, you set it up, but how do you know we made it?"

"We will find out soon." Tyson said. "Well, the Chief is right we will find out."

"We will give you… an hour before we go to sleep." Saul said and Adams replies. "Sounds fair, good luck, Doctor." As the goodbyes go about Kara walks to Samuel. "I have to tell you something."

"What?"

"I will never forget you, Samuel Anders. I guess we will be seen each other in some years from now."

"You are saying that because have we met… Am I someone to you?"

"Yes… yes." Kara kisses and embraces Samuel not wanting to let him go. Adams says. "We have to go."

"Yes, hi… I got carried away by the goodbyes."

.

.

Her final task.

.

The entire group is in the forward port launch area, standing next to the X-16B. All wait for the freighter to detach from the Galactica so that their trip home can begin. Kara is explaining in more detail about F.T.L. function, to the large group and why the Galactica trembles every time it jumps.

She believes that the green transparent paint covering the ship, it is a type of self-rebuilding artificial skin the Cylons used to cover their ships. For the past 150,000, the Cylon polymer has expanded as living tissue would do in the ship and it has reinforced the infrastructure of the Galactica. However, she knows that after three jumps the Galactica once more it is close to coming apart.

Adams looks at his watch and he walks to Korrely and asks. "Doctor Saul said an hour and it is more than that unless you guys measure time differently?"

"Let me see your watch… um? You have twenty-four hours as we do but you are right Captain" Adams turns and yells. "Kara, come here."

"Excuse me, guys… yes, Adams." She approaches Korrely and Adams, Kara smiles and says. "The meeting of the Captains… but we are missing Wo. What's up?"

"It is more than an hour, how can we know they left, or if they have problems?"

"From the C.I.C… if the terminal I have to see it is working."

"And if it is not working?"

"Will have to walk all the way to Airlock 5 and look out the window."

Suddenly the bay shakes lightly and a loud metal grinding noise it is heard. All look about as the temblor subsides. "What the hell was that!?" Adams asked and Kara replies. "The landing bay pods, are trying to retract. I guess the next jump is way past the red line."

"What is a red line?" Korrely asked. "Let's go to the C.I.C and I will explain." The three Captains take the main ladder to the catwalk, Wo asks. "Where are you going?" Adams answers. "To the C.I.C. to find out what is going on, will be back."

The trio continues to walk and Kara explains. "Inside the red line, the navigation computer can make an accurate determination where the ship will appear into an arrival point of an F.T.L. jump. Beyond the red line, the computer is less accurate. One light year beyond the red line the ship will arrive in a radius of one astronomical unit. To make a more accurate prediction beyond the red line the bay pods are retracted, those hundreds of meters can make the difference in arriving in open space or in a Sun." Adams asks. "What… it makes it more aerodynamic?"

"Yes… a narrower passage from here to wherever we are going now."

"You said that this ship rebuilt by itself. How?" Korrely asked and Kara replies. "I guess you weren't listening. The green paste it is used to cover the Cylon's big ships. It is a synthetic skin… if I may say and do not get mad Korrely but… it is similar to your skin. More durable and resilient version, it repairs itself."

"So, if a wall is missing a bolt, it turns into one?" Adams in disbelieved asked. Kara replies. "That is a good example if the wall is missing one or more bolts. The synthetic skin covers the wall and enters the hole where the bolt was and seals it, performing the job of that missing bolt. I am sure it covers cracks and strengthens the structural integrity. After a while, the skin turns into a strong binding polymer as durable as… metal."

"It did not do a good job."

"Actually it did when I left the ship for the last time. The dorsal infrastructure was so twisted the Galactica could not do an F.T.L jump and so far has made three successful ones. It took one hundred thousand years to patch the ship up. Once we arrive in your Earth will dock with one of your space dockyards. Repair her and she will be as new, ready to serve proudly as she did before."

"The guys in the I.S.S. will freak-out seen this behemoth trying to duck with them… the Galactica, I still can believe it. I am sure they would expect to see Lorne Green from the show boarding the I.S.S."

"Hallock told me more about that show. It was eerie to me that our story it is known. Who is Darth Vader?"

"That is another story… I Hope."

They arrive at the C.I.C. Kara walks to the F.T.L. station and reads. "1123 6536 5321… that is correct and all looks ok, hold on let me check one more place."

Kara, follow by Korrely and Adams head to the damage control section. She looks at the only screen that works and reviews the damages registered. "Frack!"

"What is it?" Korrely asked. "The port landing pod retracting engines are offline. The starboard is in… that is good, um? The problem is that… the retracting engines are not receiving power." Adams goes on to say. "But the first time we… jump the landing pads did not retract. Why now it has?" Kara replies. "And neither the last jump, but we are now farther away from your Earth."

"Pass the red line?" Korrely asked. "Yes, we are as close to Colonial space or it will be in two thousand years or so."

"That long Doctor Saul and his wife will travel?"

"Actually the freighter must have enough fuel for five consecutive jumps, after that there travel will be through regular space. On our way to Earth, we stopped to mine Tylium ore and that took many people and specialize ships that we had in the fleet. They are asleep."

"Ok, that is fine but how do we solve our problem?" Adams asked. "We have to go to… the port side… deck three… frame seven, lateral engine area. I really have no idea what is wrong."

"Let's look and later bring Tyson if he can make sense of the damage."

"He might even recall something."

"Like Duale did with her ancestor?"

"Yes and… let's find the damage." Kara answered hoping that the topic of Duale and Dualla does not resurface, especially about her ill-fated marriage. After a few minutes, they reach the lateral engine room. Kara touches the wheel and immediately retracts her hands. "There is a fire in there!"

"How big is that compartment!?"

"It is big, those engines move the pod. Frack… I might have to override the jump system safeties." Korrely asks. "Can we jump close enough that we do not need to jump beyond the line and jump again?"

"We could but the way the systems are and the navigation system running with that weird program the Colonel set it up with… I would not dare change the coordinates. Also if we do that how sure we can jump after that… no, we do it in one shot."

A large explosion it is felt from inside the compartment and the door and the bulkhead buckles. With no one telling them, they run down the hallway away from the door. A second explosion rocks the section as they reach one of the hatches. Large amounts of atmosphere commence venting toward the lateral engine compartment.

Kara, Adams, and Korrely close the door. However, the atmosphere still vents on their side, just a hissing sound. Kara looks up and sees a crack in the overhead slowly getting larger. Once again, they run to the next compartment and close the hatch. "Frack!" Kara said as she looks down the hallway. Korrely and Adams see a thick silvery fluid coming through a crack in the overhead. "What is that!?" Adams asked. "Tylium… we are under the lateral fuel tanks… Do not touch it or you will die on the spot. Come this way."

Kara takes a right toward the C.I.C. as they run more tremors are felt and the noise of grinding metal is heard loud and very close to them. Kara reaches one of the doors and the wheel is hot. "Dammed, come this other way!" They continue running in a different direction, as thicker smoke fills their path.

They reach the C.I.C. and Kara seats in front of the F.T.L. station. "Damm! The F.T.L. Master Key! Where is it?" She looks about the station as more smoke fills the compartment. Kara has been in the C.I.C. many times in the worst of moments but this time all is going up in flames. The fires are closing into the damage leaking fuel tanks. "Help me look. It is a key… a blue key… resembling… a tuning fork."

"Why all this shit had to happen now!" Adams yells in frustration as he looks for a key that he has never seen before in his life. He stops and raises his body. "Wait… I think I know where is at."

"Where!?" Kara asked surprised. "In… the Admirals quarters in his desk, I put that key there?"

"Welcome back Lee! Follow me."

Kara runs out followed by Adams and Korrely. They slow down due to the smoke. They walk briskly until they reach the Admirals Quarters. Kara runs to the desk and pulls all the drawers dumping the content on the deck. "Look hurry!" Korrely and Adams go to their knees and search until Korrely finds it. "Is this the one!?"

"Yes!" Kara grabs the FTL key and as she walks out, she looks at the desk, quickly grabs something else, and runs. The smoke is thicker than before, they make it back to the C.I.C. Kara seats in the F.T.L station overrides the safeties for the jump, and then she inserts the key. "Hold on to something!" Kara rotates the key to the right.

.

.

Her last jump.

.

The Galactica jumps and reappears in Earth's atmosphere just above five thousand feet. The heavy ship can fight gravity and the Galactica plummets toward the ocean. Large and small debris detach from the ship as she dives in smoke.

The ship automatically fires the stabilizer engines to stay level in relation to the rapidly approaching surface. The Galactica hits the water with force. Large amounts of dust mixed with vapor are ejected into the air as the two main engine sections detach. The bow section bends upward. The still extended port-landing pod breaks in half.

The rear section of the landing pod separates from the rear pylon connecting the pod to the main body of the ship and falls away from the central body. The only section of the port bay pod connected to the ship is the forward launch bay where the X-16B is at.

Now instead of smoke the C.I.C it is filled with vapor from the contact of the ocean water and the large fires on board. The power is out, no lights anywhere in the ship. Several explosions are felt across the ship. Adams stands up and helps Korrely. Then he moves to where Kara was at the FTL station and she is not there. "Kara!"

"I am here by the door, I have to show you the way out." Kara takes his two companions through the warped bend hallways to the rest of the group. Once there they see Doctor Lawson and others helping two of Korrely's soldiers wounded by the unstable flight of the Galactica. The X-16B it crashed against the bulkhead of the bay.

The detached rear section of the bay is allowing the water to enter rapidly. Adams yells. "Hallock, pull the emergency rafts from our ship!" As Hallock goes into the X-16B more explosions are felt as the old ship commences to turn to her starboard side. Adams is next to Doctor Lawson helping to move the wounded from the rising water. Kara looks toward the front and she sees sunlight. "The launch tubes, one is open! That is our way out."

Korrely and Tol help Hallock move the raft toward the light. Once the group is there, Hallock kicks the raft overboard and as soon as it hit the water, it opens. One by one, all jump swimming toward the raft.

The wounded are push inside and later the rest of the survivors. They commence rowing away from the sinking Battlestar that by now all that it's seen is the top of the dorsal area. The large bubbles have stopped from breaking the surface. Doctor Lawson says. "I think she stopped sinking."

"Most of the compartments were sealed when we left her up there." Kara said and Adams turns to her and replies. "We… left her up there?"

"Yes, all humankind left her up there and she came back." Kara takes a big breath and with a solemn tone, she says. "That Battlestar was the best of any ship that is home. Look at her she still wants to live... she wants to serve. She knows there is more frack headed toward this world."

All look silently at what can be seen of the Galactica. Hallock pulls the emergency transponder and activates it. All settle the best they can as Korrely looks up into the blue clear sky and says. "That is the Moon. We are back."

"Maybe." Tyson said. Kara pulls from her pocket a rolled paper, she dries it the best she can and gives it to Adams. "This is Admiral William Adama and his two sons, Zak and Lee Adama… your ancestors. Keep it. I am sure the Admiral would like to keep this in the family."

"Thank you."

"What is that craft? Over there!" All turn to look at where Tol is pointing. The radio on the raft comes alive, first static and then a clear female voice is heard. "This is US Navy Rescue helicopter 36 from the USS Carl Vinson, we received your signal. How many on board?"

Hallock with a tone of relieved answers. "We are 12 people, 2 ambulatory wounded." Then two more helicopters appear flying over the Galactica.

"We will pick you up shortly."

"Who are they?" Korrely asked and Lawson replies. "The good guys… we are home."

The H-60 Seahawk takes the first group of survivors away. The second helicopter hovers lowering the rescue basket as the Search and Rescue diver helps to load it. The last two to be rescued are Adams and Kara. The Navy diver turns to Kara and says. "You are next!"

She gets in the basket and the Navy rescuer secures her. She is then lifted as Adams, the hoist operator in the helicopter and the Search and Rescue diver look at the basket with its passenger.

There is a small explosion in the Galactica and all turn to look quickly at the gigantic ship. Then they look at the basket and it's empty with the safety straps fasten and secure. The Rescue diver jumps into the water and the H-60 moves away so the rotor wash does not impede the visibility of the diver.

"Leonard." Adams turns around to see Kara seating behind him and he says. "I saw you get in the basket. How… how did you get here?"

"I don't know but… who knows. I'll be around." The diver reaches the raft and Adams turns to him. "She is here."

"Where?" Adams looks and Kara is gone… again.

.

.

Three months later. Washington DC.

The Apartment of Dr. Marcus Bolton.

.

The alarm clock wakes up Bolton and he turns it off. He rapidly seats on the bed half asleep. From the other side of the bed, Lieutenant Carroll Fox asks. "Umm, at what time is your interview in Warfield industries?"

"At 9 am… I have to get ready. I want to work on the Galactica project. That bitch of Lawson can't touch me there."

"I got transferred because of her. I was supposed to go not Duale." She says half asleep and Fox turns over. Bolton stands up and walks to the bathroom. He commences brushing his teeth when he looks in the mirror. He pulls his toothbrush and says looking in the mirror. "When you got that blond wing and that red dress?"

"Oh, this… I always had it and this is no wig."

"Who are you talking to Hon?" Fox said from the room. Bolton's eyes open wide as he turns and the woman in the red dress is gone. He slides against the wash hand cabinet out of the bathroom. He stands at the door looking into the bathroom. "What happened, you look like you saw a ghost?"

"Ah… no, I just… no, I am ok."

An hour later Bolton is getting in his car. He drives to the curve and turns left. At the other side of the street, a blonde woman in a red dress and a man in a black suit with thin horizontal stripes wearing sunglasses are watching Bolton leave. Both walk down the sidewalk in a nonchalant pace and the man says. "He never finishes this… business"

"He finishes this business, over and over again."

"Oh, the concepts of beginning and end looking from a realm without time, compounded with free will, it is messy."

"And you thought the humans on Earth were going to construct, machines as the Colonies and the Terrans did."

"No need to construct the machines this time, humans built them long before the Pyramids were built and they are 150,000 years more advanced than humankind is now."

"Now they are. Don't forget, time is no obstruction."

"They will find more interesting Battlestar Galactica… when they see it on the TV."

"But which side among them at this time will get here first?"

"All of them."

"Then this humans must rebuild the Galactica, very fast."

"And that might not be enough... then again, free will rules this realm."

215


End file.
